The Seneschal
by MeatLips
Summary: Eons pass and ages fade away... But one person stays the same, and she bears witness to it all. At last, the hidden stories can be told...
1. Japan, 1582

**_Author's Note:_ ** _This story is actually a cross-over with an original story I have posted on fictionpress. It's been kicking around my mind lately, so I wanted to sound it out and see what people thought of it. I have more of it written, but I may or may not post the rest. But it seems like it will be a little fun to hear what people have to say. Also, I played a little with some real historical figures and stuff... I wonder if anyone can guess the significance of at least one of the characters... :-)_

_Oh, I don't own anything having to do with Sailor Moon or it's associated properties. Just this story and Yumiko... I made her... she's mine. _

* * *

**Japan 1582**

* * *

Two of the warriors glared down at the girl as she continued her meal. The third warrior was a little older and wiser. His eyes bespoke of many years combat experience and his face, while benign in nature, did little to mask the hardness that dwelt beneath. 

"Yumiko Takajima?" The older man asked.

The girl carefully placed her soup bowl down on the table before her and neatly arranged her chopsticks in front of the bowl before looking up.

"It would appear that you know my name, sir," Yumiko said. She was garbed in a plain white hakama. Her face was slightly oval and fair in complexion and her long brown hair was tied in a simple upright pony tail. She wore a plain white headband beneath her neatly trimmed bangs. But her eyes were her most distinguishing feature to the old warrior. Her eyes were empty and cold and they seemed to bore through whatever they looked at.

"I know who you are and why you might seek me, however," Yumiko finished. She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "It is irrelevant. I am in the middle of a meal, please leave me in peace so that I may finish."

One of the two younger warriors that flanked the older man rested his hand upon the hilt of his katana. His eyes gleamed.

"You would be wise to show respect to Lord Takeru, wench!"

Yumiko's cold brown eyes swiveled to the younger man.

"His rank and position mean nothing to me," she said, "I have been traveling for three days straight. I am quite hungry. To me that takes precedence over anything else. So leave me in peace. You stink of horses and sweat and I'm trying to eat."

The younger man snarled and before Takeru could stop him, drew his katana in a blurring flash of motion. His technique was excellent as his attack blended with his quick draw. What happened next startled all three warriors.

The young man blinked as he stared dumbly at his blade. Its edge was caught neatly between Yumiko's wooden chopsticks. Her left arm extended across her chest and up near her throat, catching the blade in an almost casual gesture. While this act should have been impossible for any normal human to achieve, it occurred to Takeru that he didn't quite remember Yumiko even picking her chopsticks back up from the table.

The surrounding patrons of the teahouse had fallen silent at this aggressive act. Many were quietly standing up and leaving the teahouse, pursuing their own safety from the madness that surrounded such killers.

Yumiko's eyes focused back on Takeru.

"Tell your men that if it is death that they seek, I'd be more than willing to oblige them. But not in here."

Takeru nodded. "Shinnosuke, sheath your blade."

The other man turned wide eyes to Takeru. "But father...!"

Takeru's backhand caught the younger man across the jaw and sent him stumbling to the tatami floor, his katana clattering to his side. The other young warrior quickly knelt at Shinnosuke's side.

"You shame me," Takeru said in a soft but dangerous voice, "attacking without proper provocation in a place like this. It is an honorless act."

Shinnosuke bowed his head in shame. Takeru shook his head.

"Both of you await me outside."

Shinnosuke lifted his head, his mouth open to protest but a harsh look from Takeru silenced him immediately. The two younger warriors collected Shinnosuke's katana and quickly left the teahouse. Takeru knelt down at the table opposite Yumiko. He placed his fists on his legs and bent slightly forward.

"Please forgive them, Sensei," Takeru said, "they do not understand who you really are."

Yumiko calmly resumed her meal. Takeru patiently waited for her to finish.

"It is a pleasant surprise to see you again, Takeru-dono." Yumiko said, finally putting her empty bowl down. Takeru looked up into the girl's empty brown eyes.

"It's been twenty years, Yumi-sensei," Takeru replied, "how is it that you still look so young?"

"I age slowly."

Takeru sighed. It had been more than three weeks since the three of them had left Kyoto on this mission. Three weeks of little more than rumors and speculation as to the location of their quarry. Takeru, however, knew better than the two younger men that traveled with him. If the target of their search truly wished to remain hidden, there would have been no hints at all. But after three weeks, to be sitting in front of this beautiful young woman who really wasn't that young... it meant in Takeru's mind that she clearly wished to be found.

Takeru nodded. "At any rate, you said you had an idea as to why I'd be seeking you."

Yumiko arched one delicate eyebrow.

"You've been working for the Oda clan, Takeru-dono," she said, "you are likely here to recruit me or kill me. Let me save you the time. I will not join you."

Takeru clenched his eyes tight before wearily rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Why not Sensei?" he asked, "There are few people who have not heard of the Crescent Rose. Your influence would be a great asset. Don't you understand that Nobunaga-dono is trying to unite Japan?"

"Nobunaga, with all his noble posturing about uniting Japan, is nothing more than a bloodthirsty murderer." Yumiko stood up and fixed her empty gaze upon Takeru. "You were there at Nagashima. You saw what he did."

Takeru looked away.

"They were dissidents," he muttered "They preached against the way of bushido."

"I see. Better that they all burn together. Just like the monks at Enryaku-ji." Yumiko shook her head. "A country united in fear is not really united, Takeru-dono. And a man who would kill innocent civilians is no leader. He is a tyrant."

She bent to retrieve a pair of katanas that resembled little more than wooden walking sticks with their plain black fittings. As she tucked them into her sash she turned to look at Takeru again.

"Leave him, Takeru. Take your family and stop serving the Oda. Nobunaga is nothing more than a violent animal undeserving of your loyalty. Don't waste your life for him." Yumiko turned to go.

"You know I can't do that, Yumi-sensei."

Yumiko stopped moving and closed her eyes.

"No, I suppose you can't," she replied.

"Honor demands that I either bring you back to Kyoto as an ally or return with your head to assure my lord that you will not fight against him."

"I serve no one here, Takeru."

Takeru turned in his place to glare at Yumiko's back.

"Why don't you ever take a side, Sensei??" he growled, "Will you always go through life as a ronin?? Where's your home? Your stability?? Your HONOR??"

Yumiko said nothing for a moment.

"I already have someone to serve. To honor and protect." she turned one cold brown eye upon Takeru. "She just hasn't been born yet."

Yumiko turned away again and placed a hand on the doorpost leading outside.

"I intend on leaving Japan soon, Takeru," she said, "My business is nearly done here, at least for now. It may be a long time before I come back. I'd rather us part as friends, but if you draw your blade against me..." Yumiko clenched her hand into a fist. "Please don't make me kill you."

The door slid shut behind her as Yumiko left. Takeru sat at the low table for a moment. His heart was heavy with sadness, but his path was clear.

_I hope that one day you can forgive me, Sensei._

Takeru stood up and followed Yumiko outside, drawing his katana from its ornate wooden sheath.

"Crescent Rose!"

Yumiko had stopped at the other side of the small square. Her shoulders seemed to slump slightly. Surrounding the square, the villagers looked on with a mixture of excitement and fear written upon their faces. Takeru's two sons made to draw their own blades.

"Stop," Takeru commanded them, "This is not your fight."

"Father..!" Shinnosuke began. Takeru silenced him with a glare.

"Your job is to tell Lord Nobunaga what happened here. Whatever the outcome of this duel. Do not forget what you are about to see! Understand?"

The two younger men nodded glumly and backed off.

Yumiko turned to face Takeru, one of her katanas in her hand. It was a blade of superior craftsmanship. The sunlight glimmered off its polished length. Near the hilt there was an image of a rose sillouhetted over a crescent shaped moon carved into the steel. Takeru smiled grimly. The Crescent Rose had been legendary when Takeru was a child. Called both demon and hero, she was a woman that few had ever seen but skilled beyond compare. She was also the one who taught Takeru the art of swordsmanship. He traveled with her for four years as she hunted demons and villains alike. A beautiful woman that haunted his dreams even till now. Takeru knew that he was about to die.

"Crescent Rose, by order of my lord, Nobunaga Oda, I hearby challenge you."

Yumiko's cold brown eyes bore into Takeru's. For a brief instance, something akin to sadness flashed through them.

The two samurai slowly circled each other. Takeru paused for a moment, his katana grasped in his hands. Then with an explosion of speed he struck.

The stroke was perfect, well executed, and had taken down many an enemy in Takeru's long career. Takeru watched Yumiko blur her body to the side, deftly avoiding his cut with her unnatural speed. He felt like a spectator in his body... and he knew that he just lost this duel.

_I hope you are watching closely, Shinnosuke, Mitsuhide, my sons. My final lesson to you: how a true warrior dies._

The first cut tore open Takeru's stomach and the second took his head from his shoulders, sending it hurtling through the air. His body collapsed forward, skidding slightly in the dirt from his initial momentum.

Silence followed. Few had dared move after witnessing this brief but brutal fight. Shinnosuke and Mitsuhide approached Takeru's body, falling to their knees at his side. Yumiko flicked the blood from her blade before wiping it clean and resheathing it.

"You two are his sons, right?"

The two other men looked up into Yumiko's face.

"Yes," Mitsuhide replied, "he was our father."

"Your father was a courageous man. A strong and proud warrior. A true samurai," Yumiko said, "be sure that he is properly honored."

She turned away and began walking. She originally had a destination, but now she couldn't remember what it was. She just knew that it had to be far away from the mighty warrior that lay fallen in the muddy dirt behind her. In her mind a young boy with a dirty face was grinning a great gaptoothed smile at her. It was a young boy that Yumiko once cared about. Like a child she once had.

Yumiko clenched and unclenched her fists as she walked.

"Damn you, Takeru Akechi. Damn you," she muttered. She glared up into the sky. "And damn you Selene. Damn you for making me live instead of letting me die defending you."

Yumiko lowered her head as she walked. It was a commonplace thing for her, cursing her long-dead queen's name. It helped keep the pain of loneliness from overwhelming her heart.

A loud roaring like that of a mighty African Lion, except multiplied tenfold, sounded from down the empty stretch of road. A large humanoid creature stood there, glaring back at Yumiko with blood red eyes that glowed. Its muscle mass gave it broad shoulders like great mountains standing together. It looked like it might have been human once, but now all that was left was the torn clothing of an unfortunate peasant that hung from its blue furred body. It flexed its saber like talons and leered at her.

"SO THE SENESCHAL HERSELF HAS FINALLY COME!"

_Ah, that's where I was going._

Yumiko drew her two blades as she walked.

_My last piece of business here in Japan._

The demon began to approach.

"YOU'VE SLAIN ALL THE OTHERS ON THIS PATHETIC LITTLE ISLAND, BUT I AM THE STRONGEST. YOU WILL NOT SLAY ME. I HAVE GATHERED THE ENERGY OF HUNDREDS!"

"I'm sure Beryl will be very proud of you when you meet again in hell."

With a wordless roar, the demon charged. Yumiko sped up to meet its attack.

_I'm doing what you wanted, Selene._ Yumiko thought as she moved, _I'm still here waiting their rebirth. The Moon Kingdom will one day rise again._

Yumiko calmly sheathed her twin blades and began to walk away as the youma slowly dissolved into dust. Its face was frozen in a richtus of surprise.

She clutched her arms around herself as she walked, as if to hold in the little warmth she had left.

_It hurts, Selene. How many more millenia must I wait? How long before there is another Queen Serenity?_

Yumiko sighed. There was still so much work to do. So many more youma still loose in the world.

* * *


	2. Moonshot, 1972

_**Author's Note:**_ _This may seem a little rough, and that's because it is. I wrote it on the fly. I have quite a lot planned for this character. With her I'm hoping to pull together some of the loose ends in the Sailor Moon universe, both anime and manga, although I may lean more towards manga canon..._

_Reviews are always welcome!! _

* * *

**Taurus-Littrow Valley, Lunar Surface, December, 1972**

The lunar module came to a easy rest under Gene's careful hand. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and thumbed the comm.

"Houston, Challenger has landed."

He glanced around the interior of the module to see how the other two passengers were doing. Jack gave him a thumbs up. The other passenger was gazing at the lunar surface through one of the portholes. Her face looked wistful and sad.

With the success of the previous Apollo missions, and the hair-raising near disaster of Apollo 13, NASA's overall space budget had been subject to cuts. It disgusted Gene. Congress's attitude about the whole thing was 'We already beat the Russians to the moon. What do we need to spend more money on this for?'

Apollo 18 had been scheduled, but then scrapped. Apollo 17 almost followed suit, but a strange investor had stepped forward at eleventh hour with a proposal. The entire mission would be bankrolled by this individual. The catch: take this investor to the moon and leave her there.

NASA officials had balked at this idea. Then after numerous meetings, they finally agreed. The reason was obvious. This was probably going to be the final moon landing, at least for the forseeable future. The benefits to science were just too big to ignore. Let Congress think that NASA had scrounged up the last bit of its budget to fund this final moonshot. Parts of the mission involving the investor were stamped with a bright red 'Top Secret' and then the whole mission was greenlit. This was a condition from the investor.

The investor herself wanted to be completely omitted from all mission data. No video images of her were shot, no pictures taken, nothing. NASA tested her physical conditioning and discovered that she was in better shape than any previous astronaut had ever dreamed of being.

Gene just thought it was all crazy. This woman was crazy. Why pay this kind of money just to commit suicide? She clearly was well connected. She would have to be in order to get as far as this, no matter how rich she may have been. She was a really attractive brown-eyed Asian woman who looked much younger than she said she was. Gene was still incredulous that Mission Command had actually agreed to this. None of the flight crew even knew her name.

The response from Command about the woman's identity was a flat '_You don't need to know._'

They checked each others suit seals one more time before opening the hatch and climbing out. Gene turned to the mysterious passenger as she exited the lander.

"I guess this is it then."

The woman's face was invisible behind the gold sunvisor of the heavy suit.

"Indeed. Thank you for the ride."

"Listen," Gene said, reaching out one thick suited arm to place it on her shoulder. "We do have enough fuel and O2 to make it back to Earth with you aboard. You don't have to stay here."

The other spacesuited figure seemed to regard Gene for a moment.

"Thanks for the offer," Gene's radio returned, "but I have things to do here. I'll be alright."

Gene was flabbergasted. "Lady, we're on the frickin' moon! Once we leave, there won't be anyone coming back! How are you going to be alright??"

"I appreciate your concern," the response came. The other figure held out its hand. "You've been doing an excellent job on this mission, commander. Make sure you all return home safely."

Gene stared at the other figure for a moment. Then he reached out and grasped the offered hand in as firm a handshake as he could.

"Good luck then," Gene said, "I hope you find what you're looking for."

The figure bowed slightly, then released Gene's hand and climbed into one of the lunar rovers. The tires spun silently for a moment before biting into the surface. Then she sped away into the distance, climbing out over the valley edge. Gene watched her receding figure until he could no longer make out her form against the lunar horizon.

"What was that all about?" Jack asked over the radio. He tried to walk over to Gene and succeeded in falling over in the low gravity.

Gene shrugged inside his suit, knowing the other man wouldn't see. Then he activated the lander's transmitter.

"Houston, the cargo has been unloaded."

"Roger that, Challenger," the tinny reply came back.

_We're on the moon,_ Gene mused, _Where does she expect to go?  
_  
Then the reality hit him.

_I'm on the moon._

The feeling of finally achieving a life-long dream left Gene Cernan wanting to giggle like a schoolboy. The reality of this once-in-a-lifetime experience quickly overshadowed any thought he may have had about the mysterious passenger and she was soon forgotten.

* * *

Memories flooded Yumiko's mind as she skimmed over the lunar surface in the rover. Memories of great lakes that once filled these gaping empty craters. Of a bluish sky overhead that let the earthlight filter down. Where there was beautiful buildings and classical edifices, now there was nothing but empty desolation. A lonely world that orbited the populous Earth. 

She glanced down at her oxygen gauge. Her light breathing exercises had allowed her to ration her oxygen to last far longer than what was normal. She had a lot riding on this. Even someone such as herself still required air to breath. Despite what Gene Cernan might think, she had no intention of dying there on the moon.

It amused Yumiko somewhat, now that she had finally returned to the moon. She had waited over ten thousand years for human technology to reach this point. When that American president had committed the United States to putting a man on the moon in 1962, she knew her opportunity had finally come. Now ten years later, a mere eyeblink to Yumiko, she was finally back.

A Senshi wouldn't have needed to wait. Then again, as Yumiko reminded herself once more, she was not a Senshi. That time was long past.

This trip had only cost her 2.4 billion dollars. In Yumiko's estimation, it was cheap money.

The old landmarks were still visible in the lunar surface as she approached the polar region. The shattered ruins of the old palace jutted up from the grey dirt like the broken bones of some ancient beast. She stopped the rover in front a small cluster of broken columns and got out. There was the entrance she sought. She clumsily brushed the lunar dust from a small control panel.

_I hope there's still some juice left in this thing. Death by asphyxiation after ten thousand years would just plain suck._

The panel responded to her suited fingers with a weak light. The symbols on its keys matched nothing ever seen on Earth. As precisely as she could, Yumiko punched in a special sequence. Then she waited.

The silence was deafening. Then she felt the slight vibration in the ground through her thick space suit. Before her, the ground opened up and revealed a large descending staircase that disappeared into the darkness below. She started down the stairs, feeling the vibrations above her as the entrance silently closed.

Darkness for Yumiko was never something she feared. Once it had been her greatest friend. Her long dead queen had once referred to Yumiko as lunar cat because of her ability to move in the dark. Yumiko didn't view it as being able to actually SEE in the dark. More that her eyes were trained to pick up all available light, and her other extraordinary senses took care of the rest. The darkness of eternity rested in the blackened corridor that Yumiko now traversed. To her, however, it was a monochromed three-dimensional image in her mind that she easily followed.

She finally reached the end of the corridor. Before her was a massive slab of polished moonrock. It was easily eighteen feet high and fifteen feet wide. To the side was a small panel that gave off a ghostly light. The queen's vault. The last surviving structure of the Moon Kingdom. In it lay all hope for the kingdom's future. Yumiko slowly unzipped a small pocket in the side of her suit and withdrew a round crystal medallion. She gazed at the medallion in the panel's weak light. She had carried this medallion for over ten thousand years in preparation for this day. Reaching a thick suited hand to the control panel, Yumiko began to type in a code that had been so ingrained in her memory, she couldn't imagine ever forgetting it. Lights suddenly came on around the big vault door and the panel slid open to reveal a round depression.

_Here's hoping I have the right key._

Yumiko slid the medallion into the depression.

She felt mighty vibrations in the floor as the heavy vault door soundlessly slid open. Then Yumiko felt a long forgotten heat emanate from her forehead and she saw the familiar glowing silver crescent reflected on the inside of her faceplate. Lights were bathing the inside of the vault. With a warm smile that hadn't graced her features in thousands of years, Yumiko entered the royal vault.

The vault was mostly empty except for several objects. A gold and silver case lay open displaying its contents. It had spaces for eight cylinders of which six were currently occupied with multi-colored pen-like items, each with a special symbol at the top. A pang of sadness briefly flowed through Yumiko's heart as a long buried memory surfaced in her mind like rediscovered relic of the distant past.

* * *

_Yumiko seethed. The very air surrounding her body seemed darker and heavy as the Queen's Seneschal almost pulsated with fury. Selene shook her head. She understood why Yumiko was so angry and hurt. The normally ice-like demeanor of the other woman was almost legendary for being unflappable. But nobody ever had to face something like this._

_"The so-called Council is nothing more than a weakened group of fools who let their fear and greed rule them." Yumiko stated in a cold voice. She whirled on Selene exposing the burning fire in her normally cold expressionless eyes. "I should just take her and-"_

_"You will do nothing of the sort," Selene said calmly. Yumiko snapped to attention. This wasn't her near-sister Selene speaking. This was the voice of command. The voice of Queen Serenity. "The Council ruled on this issue themselves. And Saturn agreed with them."_

_"But Selene..."_

_Selene cut Yumiko off with a raised hand. Her deep blue eyes softened as she gazed at her closest friend. "This was Saturn's decision to go along with it. You must support her in this. It's already hard enough for her."_

_The anger seemed to flow from Yumiko leaving her looking almost deflated. Her let her hands drop open at her sides and tears fell from her eyes._

_"She's still my little girl. My little Juno, Selene. The only thing I've ever done right in this universe." Selene reached out her hands and gently wiped the tears from Yumiko's face._

_"I know how much you love her, Yumiko," she said, "what mother wouldn't love their child thus? I am only setting a triple lock upon her Senshi essence. Her soul will still be free. Free to laugh, to love, to be reborn. But she will always have that essence locked deep within her, waiting to be called upon."_

_Yumiko reached up and took Selene's hands in her own. "Then I know what three people I wish to entrust those keys to..."_

* * *

_No henshin stick for my little girl._ Yumiko mused. _And a Senshi that never died who carries one of the keys to Saturn's buried essence. Two missing sticks.  
_  
She sighed inside her helmet and closed the ornate case. Next to the case was a multi-colored broach of some sort. Yumiko picked it up in her thick gloved hand and looked at it. 

_This time, Selene, I swear to you that Serena will be strong. When she is reborn, I will make her the Senshi she was always destined to be.  
_  
Yumiko bit back a bitter laugh as she closed her hand around the brooch. When she is reborn. That could be tomorrow, or thousand years from now.

Yumiko zipped the brooch into her external spacesuit pocket. There were just two more things she needed to get before it was time to die or go home. She picked up the secured case with the henshin rods and moved further into the depths of the vault.

There they were.

Two glass cylinders with metal caps on each end, lay side by side in a small alcove. Inside each was a small furry creature. Cats. A black one and a white one. Both had golden crescents emblazoned upon their foreheads, and both were curled up and appeared to be fast asleep.

_Luna, Artemis. It's been a long time since we last saw each other. It's a good thing you both were put in stasis while in your cat forms.  
_  
Yumiko leaned over the white cat's stasis tube. A wry smile formed on her face. _We sure made some good memories, didn't we Artemis?  
_

* * *

The planetary transporter. It was once the pinnacle of Moon Kingdom technology, representing five centuries of development. It worked by breaking down matter into its component atoms and then beaming those atoms over a focused beam of energy to a designated location on the Earth below. The complexity of such physics went far beyond anything humankind could possibly produce. At least not for another four or five hundred years or so. 

The amount of power the system consumed made it impractical for everyday usage, and it just wasn't as efficient as magical teleportation. It really was just a technological attempt at duplicating Senshi capabilities. Yumiko had disliked the original politics that had gone into the transporter's creation, but now she just hoped it had enough juice to send her home, more importantly, send her home with the items she had gathered.

Yumiko glanced at her oxygen gauge as she manipulated the virtual windows on the transporter's display screen.

_Well, if it doesn't have the power, then I guess this really will be the world's most expensive suicide._

A dull thrumming vibration echoed through her heavy boots and made her inner ear feel itchy. She finished setting the coordinates into the ancient device, then she jumped up onto the raised platform as it started to glow.

_Here goes nothing._

The empty tomb-like vault slowly faded around Yumiko and was replaced with bright sunshine. The hard floor turned into green artificial turf as tall skyscrapers began to fill the surroundings.

Yumiko let out her breath and began to unfasten her bulky helmet. The heavy feeling of inevitable death that had hung over her shoulders for the last decade dissipated. She had done it. She checked the consoles on the two stasis capsules. Both moon cats were still in perfect hibernation. Yumiko sat down heavily on the artificial turf on the outside deck of her Manhattan penthouse.

All that was left now was for the Senshi to be reborn. Yumiko would know when that happened. She would feel the glowing presence of their bright souls as soon as they took their first breaths. Then it would simply be a matter of waiting for them to get old enough.

And waiting was something that Yumiko was an expert at.


	3. Distant Memories

* * *

******The other side of the Galaxy... 22,230 BCE... **

Pain. It encompassed her body. Her soul drowned in it. Everywhere, there was nothing but pain.

**_FOOL!!_**

Their voices had cried out to her soul before disappearing in a brilliant flash of light. She could feel her body hurtling through space.

**_Did you think such a suicidal attack would defeat ME??_**

Her uniform was in tatters. She had felt them. Felt them die. The three billion people that hadn't escaped.

**_You of all people should know! I am the STRONGEST!_**

The planetary symbol on her forehead was fading while the magic still left in her body fought to keep her alive.

**_Your sailor crystal is worthless to me now!_**

Her tears froze upon her face. She could feel her dying magic slowly fading away. And it hurt.

**_Die then in the depths of space!_**

_You were once my friend. What happened to you?? Why did it come to this?_

Something was pulling her. Tugging on her body.

_Tractor beam?_

She briefly opened her eyes and saw the great gaping maw of a black ship open to receive her body.

"She's quite a pretty piece of fluff, huh boys?"

_Voices?_

"How did she survive in space? She had no suit or anything!"

_Talking about me?_

"She's practically naked now! Look at that pretty tattoo on her back!"

"Like black angel wings..."

Laughter floated around. The girl felt some life slowly returning to her limbs.

_My wings... are black? They used to be white..._

The laughter turned to screams. Bodies fell to the deck with dull thumps.

She opened her eyes. A ragged man with a bushy red beard clung desperately to her bare forearm. His eyes were bulging and her hand was wrapped around his throat. The bodies of five other men lay dead and broken around them, their various weapons half drawn, their faces frozen in surprise. She opened her hand.

The man fell to the floor on his knees gasping for air.

She flexed her hands and stared at them. She had done this. Killed these men. It was her old fighting art. A form of killing that she hadn't used since becoming a Sailor Senshi.

_But I'm not a Sailor Senshi anymore. It's all coming back now._

She felt the coldness inside solidify over her heart, making it like a ball of ice that beat within her chest.

_I'm partially naked. These men were pawing my body._

"Where am I?" she asked the survivor.

The man, though taller and heavily muscled, cowered before the woman.

"You're aboard the Black Rose! We found you outside, so we tractored you in!"

The girl looked around the hold of the vessel. Contraband and weapons were stacked everywhere. The ship itself seemed to be a motley patchwork of steel and machinery.

"This is a pirate vessel, isn't it?"

The man coughed. "Yes..,"

The coldness of her heart expanded and encompassed her soul.

"Then I will take command of this vessel."

The man was still on his knees. His bearded face first looked angry, then resigned, and finally miserable.

"Yes... ma'am."

She stared coldly at him. "I will require a new name to be addressed by."

"What shall we call you then?" the man asked.

"You pirates already named me. From today on I will be called the Black Angel."

_And I shall make Galaxia wish she had taken my crystal instead of leaving me to suffer!_

Deep inside the Black Angel's soul, someone began to weep.

* * *

**Lunar Prime, 6994 FLP (Founding of Lunar Prime), 739th year of Queen Serenity XIV, 20230 BCE**

"They are bringing her in as we speak, Your Majesty," The chamberlain said in a hesitant voice. "But I strongly advise against it! She's extremely dangerous! We lost many men and ships bringing her in!"

The Queen nodded. She turned to the young girl that sat off to the side of the raised dais. The princess had two of her beautiful handcarved dolls that she loved to play with and was currently embroiled in a playful conversation with said dolls. It brought a smile to the aging Queen's face.

"Shall we take the princess back to her quarters?" The chamberlain asked.

"No," the Queen answered, "She should be fine where she is."

The mighty throne room doors opened and a large cluster of Lunar Guards entered. A diminutive figure in black strode in their midst. The Queen took in the figure as they approached.

She carried herself with an almost regal bearing. Her strides resembled that of a stalking panther and she moved with a flowing grace that even the heavy block restraints didn't seem to interfere with. Her eyes were the most prominent feature in the woman's beautiful face. They were dark brown but they were cold and distant, like the bitter depths of space. Her face itself was framed by the heavy braids of her brown hair that hung before her ears.

The woman's hands were encased together in a heavy steel block that was chained to her throat and waist. Chains connected to it from her ankles making the steel links jingle with each step. The curved tips of the Guards glaives were pressed to the woman's throat like a second collar of razor edged steel.

The Queen regarded the woman from her crystal throne. Despite the fact that all the Lunar Guards surrounding this prisoner were much taller, it was the prisoner herself who seemed to be the tallest person in the crowd.

_So this is the Black Angel, The scourge of the galaxy. She barely looks out of her teens._

The Queen glanced over at her young daughter. The little girl had stopped playing and was staring at the Black Angel with a strange intensity.

"At last we meet, Black Angel," the Queen said in a commanding voice. She glared down at the chained woman.

The Black Angel merely smiled. Her eyes stayed unchanged.

"You must be the mighty Queen of the Sol system. The Kingdom of the Moon." the Black Angel's voice was a soft contralto, "Where is your king, Great Queen?"

The Queen frowned as the throne room filled with the gasps and exclaimations of the surrounding courtiers.

"You know where my king is, pirate." the Queen said coldly. "He fell before you eight years ago."

"Ah," The Black Angel responded. She nodded her head in an almost sagely manner. "So you will be taking your revenge then? After all, I am at your mercy... or am I? Do you really think these restraints can stop me, oh Queen? That these fools could kill me before I moved? Perhaps I could have your daughter's severed head resting in your royal lap before your Lunar Guard could even begin to press their blades."

The gasps and whispering grew louder as the Lunar Guards fingered their glaives. The Black Angel's speed and skill were legendary around the galaxy. It filled the old Queen's heart with a nervous energy. She briefly debated whether it would have been more prudent to have sent her daughter away as the chamberlain suggested.

_No, it must be played out. Just as I've foreseen in my dreams._

"You speak quite arrogantly for a prisoner," the Queen finally said, "Could you actually perform such a cowardly act? I do not think we will find out."

The Black Angel's cold laughter echoed through the now silent throne room.

"Cowardly acts, my dear queen, are merely the acts of those who have nothing to lose."

The movement was sudden, almost blinding. The Black Angel brought her block restraint up, knocking one of the glaives aside. She ducked with the same motion, moving through the gap she created and hammering the nearest guard across the jaw with the heavy restraint. Suddenly, her hands were free.

The throne room filled with the shouts of the Lunar Guards as they tried to fight the sudden demon in their midst. The woman's restraints were now free from her body and were whirling around in one of her hands. Her speed was every bit as extraordinary as the legends said. One guard screamed as her other bare hand seemed to slash through his wrist, severing his hand from his arm. She let the heavy restraints go and they took down several more guards.

To the Queen, time seemed to slow down. She watched as the Black Angel leaped high over the heads of the remaining guards. She watched as the woman in black landed and moved in a straight line. A straight line towards the princess.

_NO!_

The Queen tried to jump to her feet. To move. Anything to stop the action she could see coming. She forgot the visions of her dreams in the reality of what was happening.

_Not my baby girl!! Not Selene!_

Selene stood up from her dolls. The woman coming at her had an empty face. Empty eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Selene asked.

Time seemed to stop in the chaotic throne room. The Black Angel's hand had been descending in a killing arc, but now it stopped, inches from the Princess Selene's unmarked throat.

The mighty and infamous Black Angel, scourge of the galaxy, the most feared space pirate alive, stared at this small girl with an expression of surprise.

"W-what?" the woman stammered.

"Why are you crying?" Selene asked again.

The Black Angel's hand fell to her side as she gaped at the princess.

"I'm not crying!"

"Yes you are," Selene said simply. She bravely reached forward and touched the woman's chest. "In here. You're crying in here."

The Black Angel fell onto her knees before the small girl. Her eyes were wide. "I'm not crying..." she whispered, staring at the princess.

The Lunar Guards started to surge forward, but the Queen held up a hand, stopping them. She stared down at the strange spectacle.

Selene knelt down and gently took the Black Angel's face between her small hands.

"They wouldn't want you to suffer like this. After all this time, they've long since forgiven you."

The Black Angel felt the warmth of the girl's hands suffuse her face. It traveled through her body and into her desolate heart. She realized that she indeed heard weeping coming from deep inside her soul.

"T-They do?" she asked. Her voice sounded small and vulnerable. Tears had started to course from the Black Angel's empty brown eyes.

"Yes, they do," Selene said with a soft smile. She pulled the Black Angel's head foward into an embrace. The woman buried her face into the princess's lap and wrapped her arms tightly around the small girl. She cried, her shoulder's hitching with each sob. Selene gently stroked the Black Angel's hair as the woman wept.

"It's all right now," Selene murmured, "It's all right now."

The crisis had passed. The old Queen could feel it in her heart. Something wonderous had happened. She turned to the Lunar Guards. The injured guardsmen were being helped by others.

"Clear the throne room," she commanded.

"But Your Majesty!" the chamberlain exclaimed, popping up from behind the column where he had been hiding.

"I am unused to people questioning my orders, Lord Chamberlain," the Queen said in a calm voice, "Since the last time I checked, the royal crown of this kingdom rested upon MY head."

The chamberlain's face paled and he quickly turned and relayed the order over the protests of the guardsmen.

Soon the throne room was empty. It was just the Queen, the princess, and the strange woman in black who now knelt before the small princess with wet cheeks and a bemused expression. The princess herself had returned to playing with her dolls, seemingly oblivious to the Black Angel and the Queen.

"Your daughter is quite amazing, your highness."

The Queen sat down on the steps of the dais, looking at the Black Angel.

"She is indeed."

"She made me remember things I had tried for a long time to forget," the woman said, "and she helped me to heal some ancient wounds."

"That you were once Sailor Andromeda?" the Queen asked.

The woman snapped her head around to stare at the Queen.

"How did you know?" she demanded.

"You forget. Selene is my daughter. Some of what she is and what she can do comes from me."

The woman shook her head in amazement. "I haven't been called that name in two thousand years. I didn't think anyone would even want to remember me."

"Nobody would ever forget the Mad Senshi," the Queen stated simply.

The Black Angel winced, then turned away.

The monarch of the Moon Kingdom went on. "The story is an old legend now. The two mightiest Sailor Senshi fought. Galaxia and Andromeda. But Galaxia was more powerful, so Andromeda destroyed her own solar system in the hopes of vanquishing the mightier Galaxia. But Galaxia survived, and Andromeda was forever named the Mad Senshi for killing three billion of her own people."

"I no longer have my Senshi powers. They were lost to me."

"Nothing is ever completely lost," the Queen said, "Somewhere inside you, the remnants of your powers still remain. Perhaps someday you will find them again."

The two women sat quietly for a moment, watching the young princess play with her doll.

"What will you do with me?" The Black Angel asked in a quiet voice. "I am a pirate and a murderer. I've plundered thousands of worlds over the last two millenia. Your husband died because of me. I should be put to death."

"You were just lost, Yumiko," the princess said suddenly, turning to look at the two surprised women with her bright blue eyes, "But now you aren't lost anymore."

"How did you know my real name?" Yumiko asked in amazement.

"Your heart told me. It was Yumiko who was crying in there." the young girl cocked her head and smiled. The golden crescent on her forehead seemed to glow for a moment. "Stay with us, Yumiko. Stay and be my friend. I won't let you be lonely anymore."

Yumiko turned to princess's mother, a serious look on her face. "Let me stay here as a guardian to the princess. She will be as a near sister to me and I will protect her with my life. Her and those who come after."

The Queen stood up and walked to her throne. She picked up her scepter, atop which rested the Silver Crystal, symbol of the great Moon Kingdom. The time had come at last. A moment that had been foretold in her dreams.

"Kneel before me, Yumiko," she commanded. The former Black Angel knelt before the Queen.

"Will you pledge your service to House of the Moon for as long as you live?"

"I will," Yumiko said.

The Silver crystal flashed.

"Will you accept Princess Selene as Queen and support her fully when the time comes?"

"Her and those that follow. I will always support them."

The Silver Crystal began to glow. It bathed the throne room with silver white light for a moment, then subsided.

"Arise Yumiko," the Queen intoned, "Arise as Seneschal to the House of the Moon."

Yumiko stood up. Upon her brow glowed a silver crescent. She felt the warmth of it filling her with a feeling of acceptance.

Selene clapped her hands and laughed. It was a musical sound that echoed through the empty throne room. She stood up and grabbed Yumiko's hand.

"Let's go play!"

Yumiko blinked for a moment, then let herself get dragged off by the exuberant princess.

The old Queen sat down tiredly on the throne. A great weight felt like it had been lifted from her heart.

_With this act, a new era will be born when Selene ascends the throne._

The Queen smiled.

_A thousand years of peace and wonder.__ A Silver Millenium._

_Now the legendary Sailor Senshi of this system will rise once more... Just like in my dreams..._


	4. Ancient Treachery

_**Author's Note:**_ _Just a quick note on the time and day references. The seven days of the week originally evolved from older names. Since this is supposed to be prehistory, I used some of those older names. For example, Monday would be Moon's Day, or Day of the Moon. Sunday would be Day of the Sun or Sun's Day. The rest of the weekdays historically tied into the planets. Saturday would be Saturn's Day. Tuesday was originally Dies Martis or Day of Mars in Latin. And so on and so forth._

_At any rate, if you've read this far, I'm clearly doing something right :-) This chapter is still a little rough, and I may touch up the other chapters over the course of time. But please read on and enjoy. And special thanks to those who reviewed me! _

* * *

**The Mars Palace, 7000 FLP (Founding of Lunar Prime), 745th year of Queen Serenity XIV, 20224 BCE  
**

"If you do not mind, your Highness," Yumiko said, "The princess will be taking her meal this evening in her quarters."

King Mars looked disdainfully down his nose at the woman in black that stood before the Red Throne.

"We haven't seen our Royal cousin in a few days," Mars remarked, "If she is not physically unwell, we would like to dine with her this evening."

"Indeed, your Highness," Yumiko replied with a polite bow. Her empty cold eyes never left the king's face. "But she has been feeling under the weather. With news of the Queen's illness, she has been feeling sick with worry."

Mars steepled his fingers together to hide a small grimace. "Very well then, Seneschal. We shall have your meals delivered to your quarters again."

"Thank you once again for your divine understanding, your Highness." Yumiko straightened up slightly, "If I may ask one more thing, Highness, what is the status of the princess' Royal transport?"

"Our chief engineer tells us that he may need to replace the primary thrusters. Their control units appear to be burnt out. It may be a few more weeks."

"I see," Yumiko replied, "Thank you for your efforts. May I take my leave now, Highness? I wish to return to the princess' side."

"You have our leave, Seneschal. Please give our Royal cousin our warmest regards in this stressful time."

With another bow, the Seneschal of the Moon turned and left the throne room. Mars watched her as she departed.

_She's a dangerous one._

He clenched his fist tightly.

_I will not let you interfere with my plans! The Silver Crystal and the Royal Throne will be mine!_

Mars stood up and pressed a button on the arm of the Red Throne.

_The princess must eat sooner or later, but if she does not..._

The Martian Guards pretended not to see the tall red-clad figure that entered the throne room.

The man walked with the assured gait of a master T'kue-Chi warrior. His very presence instilled fear. T'kue-Chi was the Martian fighting art. It was known across the galaxy as being difficult to master, but impossible to guard against. Masters of this martial art could flow like water when they attacked and their speed was blinding. A mere flick of their toe from the end of a kick could disembowel and maim even the most prepared fighters. Every part of a T'kue-Chi Master's body was dangerous. They were living weapons. The secret of their abilities was closely guarded.

"What do you make of this Royal Seneschal, Samir?" Mars asked.

The T'kue-Chi Master nodded thoughtfully. "She definately has some fighting skill. She moves like one prepared. But it would be a shame."

"What would be a shame?"

Samir smiled, his golden eyes glittering. "It would be over too quickly. I understand the princess, Your Highness, but I would like to keep this woman for a little while... for my own amusement."

"You can do what you want with her," Mars said, "Provided the princess is dead by then." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "At any rate, be prepared. I suspect the Queen doesn't have much time left."

"Understood, Highness," Samir replied, "I will be the first one to the princess' apartments to express my condolences."

* * *

Yumiko closed and locked the heavy steel door behind the servants after they delivered their meal. At least what they laughingly called a 'meal'. Yumiko could see the blackness of death on the food like an extra seasoning.

Their assigned chambers were small, consisting of only two rooms and a bathroom. Hardly befitting of a Royal heir to the Crystal Throne. But then again, Yumiko already knew what the traitorous king of Mars truly thought of his 'Royal cousin'.

"Yumi?"

Yumiko turned to look at her charge. At fourteen standard years of age, the Princess was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. Her long platinum white hair was pulled into a pair of pigtails that hung down almost to the floor. The tops of each pigtail was an elaborate bun. Yumiko sometimes would tease her and call her 'rabbit' because of the shape of her hair. But it was a style that suited the princess and enhanced her already innate beauty.

However now the Princess Selene was pale and drawn. Her eyes were constantly filled with worry, but her face was still strong and determined.

"Any news of my mother?" Selene asked.

Yumiko couldn't help the swell of pride that briefly skittered across her heart. The worry and fear in Selene's eyes had almost nothing to do with her present circumstances.

The girl feared for her mother. And she wanted desperately to go home to be by her side.

Yumiko shook her head. "Nothing yet, Selene. Let us sit and have our meal and we can discuss it."

She started to pick up plates from the cart and scrape their contents into the nearby garbage chute. Selene quietly assisted.

"The chef has outdone himself this evening," Selene said as the last plate was returned to the cart empty, "it was especially delicious."

"Indeed it was," Yumiko replied. She moved the cart to the wall next to the entrance door. "I think it is time for you to bathe now, Selene."

Yumiko led Selene into the small bathroom and closed the door behind them. She pulled the drain open and started the bathwater running. Then she turned to the princess who had sat down on the floor. She reached into a small pouch under her shirt and removed a pair of white pills.

"Here," Yumiko said, handing a pill to Selene. The girl quickly swallowed the nutrient pill. Yumiko did the same with her own.

"What was the outcome of your meeting?" Selene asked in a low voice.

"Our transport is out of the picture," Yumiko replied quietly, "Mars told me that his chief engineer was replacing the primary thrusters. We're going to have to find another way out of here."

Selene nodded. "See what inquiries you can make with the local Shipping Guild. Mars can't shut down all interplanetary travel. There's bound to be some cargo headed for Lunar Prime."

Yumiko felt another surge of pride. The girl already sounded like a Queen.

"There's one more thing," Yumiko began, "If what we suspect is true, that this was an assassination attempt on the Queen, and she dies..."

Selene looked saddened, but her sapphire blue eyes now shone with an almost Royal fire.

"I know," Selene said, "Mars is next in line after me for the Crystal Throne. He will kill us and make it look like an accident."

"I will not let that happen, Selene," Yumiko said. Her eyes flashed. "You will make it back to Lunar Prime, one way or another."

_And I will present you with the heads of Mars and his family if need be.  
_

* * *

"My ship leaves at exactly twelve standard on Moon's Day," the shipping captain's holographic simulcrum said, "Can you make it by then?"

"We will be there, Captain Rourke," Yumiko replied, "Were you able to relay that message back to Lunar Prime?"

"I have word that it was received and acknowledged by a Miste Avaram."

"Was there a reply?"

"Yes," Rourke responded, "She said 'The stars are circled about Sagittarius Zero. None of them reborn.' Does that mean anything to you?"

Yumiko paused for a moment before answering.

"Yes it does, captain. Thank you. I will personally see to it that you are richly rewarded upon our return to Lunar Prime."

"Don't worry about it," the captain replied, his eyes serious, "the Queen once saved our families from total bankruptcy. The House of the Moon will always have the loyalty of the Shipping Guild. I will see you on Moon's Day."

Yumiko nodded, then closed her Moon computer. She looked up at Selene who sat on the bathroom floor across from her.

"I think king Mars is going to believe I take too many baths," Selene said with a small smile.

Yumiko didn't answer.

_ It's worse than I thought. Mars is already positioned for a coup. Bless Avaram for being able to tell me at least THAT much._

Yumiko felt uneasy. In her mind's eye she could see a great light off in the distance slowly fading like a dying sunset. The Queen was dying and Yumiko knew it would be soon. And when she did, Mars would move in with his co-conspirators and take over the Crystal Throne. He would become king of the Sol System.

Presuming that Mars eliminated the Princess Selene.

The Great Council was a conglomeration of planetary representatives. Easy enough in theory, but when you have nine planets that didn't trust each other and had once been at war, trying to settle differences in a Council setting became a complex game of politics. The current Queen had done well by playing one Planetary House against the other, maintaining a delicate but workable balance. However without the Queen at the helm, the Council was probably close to breaking down. Factions had begun to form as each house jockeyed for more power.

Earth had been demanding their own representation at the Great Council, and the current Queen had been planning on allowing it. The other eight planets were against it, calling Earth technologically backward. This probably was what led up to the poisoning of the Queen. The fact that poison had even gotten past the Royal detection devices meant that infiltration of the Moon Palace had been building up for a long time. Perhaps long before Yumiko had even arrived in this system. Mars clearly had been busy.

It was imperative that Selene make it back and be crowned Queen if the current Queen dies. If Mars assumed power, it could mean interplanetary civil war.

Yumiko glanced at the wall mounted chronometer. It was only Saturn's Day. That still left Sun's Day to wait until Moon's Day rolled around.

"Yumi," the princess began. Yumiko refocused her attention back onto Selene.

"That message," Selene said, "'The stars are circled about Sagittarius Zero. None of them reborn.' It means my mother is surrounded by enemies, doesn't it?"

"It means we need to get you back to Lunar Prime as soon as possible."

Yumiko paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts.

"I have an idea, Selene," Yumiko finally said, "If it works, you'll be on your way to Lunar Prime in two days."

"You sound like you don't mean to come with me, Yumi," Selene said softly.

"I will come afterward. Don't worry, I mean to catch up with you."

Yumiko reached into her hidden pocket and pulled out an ornate fountain pen with a red ruby jewel at the top.

"A pen?" Selene asked.

"This is a very special pen," Yumiko said, "I've had this pen for a very long time..."

* * *

Two days later, Queen Serenity the Fourteenth died.

Yumiko sat in the empty quarters in thought. Everything now depended on Captain Rourke and the Shipping Guild.

A banging on the steel door interrupted her thoughts.

The four Martian Guards bowed to the king after escorting the Seneschal of the Moon to the Royal throneroom.

"The Queen is dead," Mars remarked. Beside him stood Samir, dressed in his customary red cloak. Samir's golden eyes were focused on Yumiko with both disdain and desire. "We wished to tell our Royal cousin ourselves, but she doesn't seem to be in her quarters."

"I am saddened to hear of the Queen's death," Yumiko said, "Rest assured, Princess Selene will make an excellent queen."

All traces of good humor vanished from Mars' face.

"Where is the princess?"

The Moon Seneschal's face remained blank.

"For her security, I cannot tell you that."

Mars hammered his fist on the arm of his throne.

"Enough of these games, Seneschal," Mars said, "A message has already been broadcast across the Sol System and I have people waiting at Lunar Prime for me to arrive for my coronation. The rest of the system now believes that Princess Selene is dead as well."

Yumiko arched an elegant eyebrow. Mars had dropped all royal pretense and was now being more direct.

_He's nervous._ she thought.

"So you've always intended a coup?"

"It's not a coup when you are next in line for the throne, now where is the princess?" Mars demanded again, raising his voice.

The brown haired Seneschal just stood with her arms at her sides staring at him.

"I grow weary of asking," Mars said, "My men are already tearing the Mars Castle apart. It's only a matter of time before we find her."

He attempted to smile winningly at Yumiko. "Please, you are such an attractive woman, I would hate to have you get hurt. There may even be a place for you in my new regime."

"How gallant of you to offer," Yumiko said in a dry voice, "Do you happen to have the time?"

Mars blinked, taken off guard. Then he glanced at his wrist chronometer.

"It is five minutes past the thirteenth standard hour."

"Excellent. Then my princess will be home soon."

Mars' mouth dropped open. "Impossible!" He turned to glare at Samir. "You have the Martian Guard watching every egress out of the Port of Mars, right??"

"Of course, your Highness," Samir said smoothly, "She's just trying to bluff us, that is all."

He started to remove his cloak as he descended the stairs down from the Red Throne.

"Now, my dear," Samir said with a grin, "I'm afraid that I must punish you for lying."

Yumiko shrugged nonchalantly. "It would appear that you people only hear what you want to. So I will counter your question with one of my own. You can decide if you wish to answer or not."

Samir and Mars glanced at each other for a moment. Then Mars glared at the Moon Seneschal.

"You are in no position to be asking anything!"

"Indeed," Yumiko answered. She stripped off her black shirt leaving her black tank on beneath. Black feathers seemed to be tattooed around her shoulders giving the impression of wing tips. She took off her black gloves.

"My question is this: Do you know why the former queen never sent many guards with Selene when I was with her?"

Yumiko stood before the two men in a deceptively mild stance.

"Because I am all she needs," Yumiko answered her own question.

Mars began to get nervous. "Even if it's true that she's on her way back to Lunar Prime, my own people are in control there! What do you think is going to happen when she arrives?"

"That, my king, is something we are going to straighten out before her arrival."

The brown haired Seneschal's eyes made Mars' stomach churn in fear. The surrounding Martian Guard stood with their weapons drawn and ready. Mars turned to Samir.

"Kill her now!"

Samir's body flowed forward, a killing blow already in motion. It was a shame, really. He had wanted to play with this pretty girl.

Samir blinked in surprise when he felt pressure on his wrist. His body angled downwards and his extended hand buried itself into the red stone floor. The pressure on his wrist stayed and he quicly identified the fingers of the Moon Seneschal as the cause. He shifted his weight forward and blurred his body in a brief handstand, pulling his wrist from her grasp. His foot flickered out towards her forehead but she merely moved her head to the side, avoiding the kick. He backed off and circled her. She continued to regard him with her empty cold brown eyes.

"Your style is readily apparent," Yumiko said. She twisted sideways avoiding another sudden attack, and then she redirected the force of another lightning-like blow with a finger. "T'kue-Chi, right?"

Samir glared at the girl as he circled. She dodged his hits like he was a slow moving first-year in the art!

"The thing about Martian T'kue-Chi," Yumiko went on, "Is that it is an incomplete art."

Samir's arms became indistinct blurs as he suddenly hammered one hundred punches per second at every vital point on the Seneschal's body. He flowed his body backwards, expecting to see the girl crippled and broken upon the floor.

Yumiko still stood there as if nothing had happened. Samir's fist hurt, which seemed impossible. He could punch through solid steel with no pain, yet his fists suddenly hurt like they had been slapped around with a heavy brick. Samir began to feel anxious. Had she blocked those punches?

"Your Martian arts are incomplete because they lack a very important discipline," Yumiko continued, still looking nonchalant.

"We have been practicing T'kue-Chi for a thousand years," Samir muttered, "what do you think we are missing?"

Yumiko held up one open hand.

"_T'kue-Chi_, the energy of the universe. You bend and manipulate the chi around you."

The light around Yumiko seemed to dim and the air began to hum.

"Martian T'kue-Chi only teaches this first discipline, and you use it to augment your speed and strength. This is its failing."

Samir attacked again with a blinding forward flip bringing his leg down in a devastating axe kick. Instead of feeling the splintering of bone from his target however, he felt something more akin to a gale force wind that blew him backwards and slammed him into the far wall.

"The other discipline is _Nao-Ki_, the energy of life," Yumiko said, holding up her other hand, "This teaches you to tap into the ki of your own body. This is what the Martian fighting arts lack."

She stood with her hands outstretched.

"Together, they are Nao-Ki T'kue-Chi. The complete discipline. I know this because the art form originated from the Andromeda system. Do you know what it means to master both Nao-Ki and T'kue-Chi?"

Samir turned pale. Andromeda system?? The solar system destroyed by the Mad Senshi??

There was nothing but death in the Moon Seneschal's eyes.

"No..." he whispered.

"You achieve balance both externally and internally," Yumiko answered, "In essence, you enter into total harmony with your environment. This is how I am going to move through this floating palace like the wind killing every person that gets in my way."

Abruptly, her fists dropped, and the Seneschal moved. Her speed was so fast, Samir barely caught an afterimage of her body before his head left his shoulders, the flesh cleanly severed from the speed of her open-handed strike.

The Martian Guard attacked at Mars' panicked shriek. It was like feeding wheat into a thresher.

Yumiko moved through the Guard ranks at nearly invisible speeds. Bodies flew. Men screamed. Blood pooled in camouflaged puddles on the red stone floor.

Mars stood in front of his throne. In his hand was the mighty Sword of Mars. Its red blade crackled with glowing red energy.

"I will be king of this system!" Mars screamed, "By this sword I will be king! The power of the Silver Crystal will be MINE!"

Yumiko regarded him from the bodies that were piled around her.

Mars leaped from the dais, swinging the Red Sword down.

* * *

Captain Rourke clenched the armrest of his chair with a nervous intensity. Lunar Prime's orbiting space port loomed in the distance. He glanced at the pilot.

"Do we have docking clearance yet?"

The pilot looked at his holographic display.

"No sir, nothing yet."

"Dammit," Rourke muttered, "do they know? Do they intend to attack us?"

"Patience, captain," another crewmember said, "you must have faith in the Guild's power here. Nobody would risk a trade embargo from the Shipping Guild."

The young crewman removed a pen from his pocket. Almost instantly, his height lessened and his face and body took on feminine curves. His hair fell down in two great sweeping pig-tails of silver white hair.

"Now we must send a message to them," Princess Selene said calmly.

The pilot flipped open a communications channel. "Go ahead, your Highness."

Selene nodded, then began to speak.

"Attention Lunar Prime, this is the Princess Selene Mare Serenitatis aboard the registered shipping vessel Gladius. I have transferred my royal flag to this ship. Please arrange for a docking port and a security detail at once."

Three Martian war cruisers suddenly appeared from the far side of the moon, zooming in on their location.

"Attention Gladius," a voice rang out from the comm, "please stand down and prepare to be boarded."

Six other shipping vessels converged around the Gladius forming a phalanx.

"This is Captain Yavid Rourke of the Gladius," Rourke said into the comm, "The Princess Selene has the countenance of the Shipping Guild. Any attempt to board us will be considered a direct violation of the Shipping and Trading Act. We will enact an immediate trade embargo and we will return fire if attacked."

Rourke glanced up at Selene. The young girl looked calm and serious, but her blue eyes burned.

Several tense minutes passed. There was no response from the Martian Cruisers. Suddenly, they turned and left.

"Well, that was strange," Rourke remarked.

"Gladius," the comm suddenly voiced, "This is Commander Miste Avaram. Please dock at port twenty-three. There will be a security detail there to escort the Crown Princess to Lunar Prime." There was a pause, then, "Welcome home, your Highness."

There was quiet on the bridge for a few moments, then the pilot let out a dry chuckle.

"You're not gonna believe what is being broadcast over the interplanetary network," the pilot said, looking at his display, "From Mars Castle!"

"Put it up!" Rourke ordered.

A wavering image of Yumiko appeared on the display.

"All Martian vessels are hearby ordered to surrender and dock at the nearest port," Yumiko said, "As of right now, the sovereign planet of Mars is temporarily under Lunar control and his former Highness is under arrest. The charge is treason against the Royal Crown."

The camera image panned down over to the former King Mars. The man was tied securely to the Red Throne and he looked very unhappy.

"Until such time as a complete inquest has been conducted," Yumiko went on, "All Martian travel has been suspended and its citizens grounded."

Everybody on the bridge of the Gladius stared dumbfoundedly at the display. Everybody but one.

"That's my big sister," Selene breathed with a smile.

* * *

Arrests were made all across Lunar Prime. Their number even included several Council members. In total, one hundred and eleven conspirators were arrested. Yumiko made a clean sweep through the Moon.

On Mars, things were in utter chaos. Nothing was resolved until the Red Throne was ascended by a second cousin of the former King. A striking woman with long black hair and black eyes. The former king was stripped of his titles and properties and was given a lengthy prison sentence on the much feared prison planet of Phobos.

One month after the death of the former Queen, Crown Princess Selene ascended the Crystal Throne and was crowned Queen Serenity the Fifteenth. She was fourteen standard years old.

"You will make an excellent Queen, your Majesty," Yumiko said with a rare smile. They stood in the Queen's private chambers after the coronation. Selene merely stared at the bluish green marble of the Earth that hung in the lunar sky. The Silver Crystal was clutched in her hands.

"Please don't call me that," Selene murmured, "I'm still Selene."

"I know, Selene," Yumiko said. She quietly approached the new Queen. "It will probably be tough for you to start your reign so young. But I'll always be here for you."

"I didn't get to say goodbye to my mother." Selene held up the Crystal. "I thought I would feel her presence in this. My mother always taught me that when a king or a queen dies, their power enters this Crystal."

Selene shook her head. "This Crystal thrums with the power of countless ancestors. I think that this rock contains enough power to unmake the universe. I sense my mother's aura in this, but I don't sense her soul."

Yumiko gently placed a hand on Selene's shoulder.

"All star seeds ultimately return to the Galaxy Cauldron where they are eventually reborn," she said.

Selene turned to stare up into Yumiko's eyes. "Is that what you really believe?"

"It's what I always hope for," Yumiko answered, "that someday my own seed will have someplace to go. It's what I was taught as Senshi."

Selene was silent for a moment.

"Do you think my mother will be reborn as a star?" she asked.

"Perhaps, who can say?"

"I think she will be," Selene said with a small smile. She gently placed the Silver Crystal down on its pedestal. Then her smile faded. "I promised myself that I would wait until after the coronation. That I would stay strong."

Yumiko cocked her head. "What did you promise?"

Selene wrapped her arms around Yumiko and buried her face in Yumiko's chest.

"Just please... hold me for a little while."

The Queen of the Moon Kingdom, monarch of the Sol System, poured out her grief against the bosom of the Moon Seneschal.

"Always, my little sister," Yumiko murmured as she gently stroked the crying girl's hair, "Always, my queen."


	5. The Last Race

**Oyama, Sunto District, Japan, 1984  
**

* * *

The little girl sat in the mostly empty hospital waiting room. Her sea-grean eyes were empty, lifeless. Her shoulder length blonde hair was matted to her head with dirt and her clothing stained with oil. But her face was empty of emotion. Lost. She was oblivious to the whisperers that stood nearby. 

"So what are we doing with her?"

"Her stepmother has already been notified." The big cop elbowed the other one with a grin. "She's coming here herself!"

Incredulous, the shorter officer stared at his partner.

"Get outta here," he said, "Is Yumi Toshinden REALLY coming here herself??"

The other man nodded. "What did you expect? They might as well have been married!" He leaned forward until he was staring the little girl in the face. "Hey kid! You know that your step-mama is coming, right?"

The girl said nothing. She just continued to stare blankly ahead, not even registering that someone had spoken to her.

"Ah come on, Hiro," The shorter cop said, "Leave her alone. Poor thing."

The hospital doors slid open and the person in question walked in. She looked to be close to her mid-thirties. Her face was mostly unlined except for some mild laugh-lines around her brown eyes. Her eyes were the first thing anybody ever noticed about her. They were a distant yet piercing brown that could bore through stone. Her clothes were simple: Pair of jeans and a t-shirt. A small diamond ring graced her left hand.

Yumi's eyes locked right onto the young six-year-old girl in the torn and stained clothing. The two police men backed out of her way as the musician dropped down to her knees in front of the little girl. The girl's eyes seemed to flash faintly with recognition as Yumi's hands touched her face and stroked back the dirty blonde hair.

"Are you ok?" Yumi asked.

The little girl's exotic green eyes suddenly overflowed with tears. She fell forward into Yumi's arms, burying her face against Yumi's neck as she cried. Yumi stood up, cradling the little girl in her arms. She rubbed the girl's back as the child poured out her grief.

"It's ok, little one," Yumi murmured, "I got you now. I'll take care of everything, 'Ruka-chan."

She turned to the police inspector that had followed her into the room.

"What happened?" Yumi asked.

The inspector, a man named Kanojo, cleared his throat. Then he glared at the two police men that had been standing nearby. Taking a hint, the officers left, casting awestruck glances over their shoulders at the diminutive musician.

"The car went out of control," Kanojo said, "and he hit the wall doing over three hundred kilometers-per-hour."

Yumi's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell does that mean?? How would he have 'lost control'?"

Kanojo held up his hands. "Look Miss Toshinden, without having MPD go over the wreck with a fine-tooth comb, I can't really answer that. All indications point to it being driver error."

On Yumi's shoulder, the little girl seemed to have cried herself out and fallen asleep. A dangerous, almost ferocious glint appeared in Yumi's eyes as she glared at the inspector.

"Akira Tenoh was one of the best drivers in Japan. He was ranked one of the top ten Formula One racers in the world. The man was a consumate professional. There is NO way that he would have lost control of that car." Yumi cocked her head slightly. "Did you talk to Wataru Higoshi or any of the other pit crew?"

Kanojo took off his glasses and folded them into his shirt pocket. Then he rubbed his eyes.

"Look, ma'am," Kanojo said, "Without any other direct evidence, as far as MPD is concerned this is a tragic accident. My hands are tied. Besides, this is not the first time something like this happened at that track. Accidents are common."

Yumi blinked her eyes slowly as she examined Kanojo's face. It made the inspector feel unnerved by the intensity of the woman's eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that the same thing happened a month ago. The driver lost control."

"Akira has driven that track hundreds of times!" Yumi growled, "These circumstances don't strike you as suspicious?"

"I already told you," Kanojo said, "It was an accident! The DRIVER screwed up."

"So no investigation then?"

"No!"

"Your department FAILS, Inspector," Yumi said quietly. Her eyes were flickering with a dangerous light. She turned to leave, carrying the sleeping child.

_And I will see someone burn for this.  
_

* * *

She took the transformation stick from her back pocket and watched in the bathroom mirror as time reversed itself on her face. The older, thirty-something Yumi Toshinden quickly disappeared and the youthful face of Yumiko took her place. 

She quietly slid the engagement ring off her finger and stared at the small brilliant cut diamond. Her heart felt empty.

Yumiko sighed and glanced back at her familiar face. Not one wrinkle, nor one single laugh-line was apparent.

_All these millennia, and not even a single grey hair. I haven't aged a day since I was eighteen standard years old._

Kanojo's attitude had irritated her. It wasn't an unaccustomed feeling, but Yumiko had grown skilled at burying her emotions over the years. It made things a lot more bearable. Not that she showed much emotion during the Silver Millenium.

Something just didn't seem right about how Akira had died.

_I need to go to the track. The smell on Haruka... Faint... could it be what I think it is? Have I been too complacent these past ten years?_

She clenched her fists and shut her eyes, crushing her feelings down deep into her psyche. She needed to remain objective. Frosty.

_I will need to see his body._

Yumiko left the bathroom and padded silently down the hallway to her living room. Haruka was sleeping fitfully in Yumiko's bed. Yumiko sat down on her couch and absently picked up her guitar. Her nimble fingers picked out a soft but complicated progression of notes as she thought about how she had gotten into the position she was currently in.

The Senshi had started being reborn within a few years of each other. Yumiko knew it had begun back in October of 1975 when she felt the first Senshi being born in Japan. It had bloomed like a welcome sunrise at the edge of her awareness. Then again, the first to be born surprised the hell out of the former Moon Seneschal.

_Pluto???? She's supposed to be at the Gates! Why is she being reborn?_

After that revelation, it ceased to matter. The first of the Sailor Senshi had been reborn. Yumiko had driven six hours non-stop from Osaka City to Sanno Hospital in Minato-Ku in Tokyo, arriving almost seven hours after the birth. Then she stood almost shoulder to shoulder with Ryosuke Meioh at the glass enclosed nursery staring at Meioh's newborn baby girl.

The grin on Yumiko's face hadn't been there in so long, she almost had forgotten what it felt like. Hope had shone a light into the depths of her empty heart. She leaned over to Meioh.

"Is that your daughter?"

Ryosuke Meioh had been grinning proudly himself.

"Yes indeed! That's my little girl!"

"Have you thought of a name?" Yumiko asked.

"My mother's name was Setsuna. My wife loves the kanji my mother used for it, so I think that's what we're going with."

"Setsuna Meioh," Yumiko murmured. Her eyes were still focused on the newborn baby girl with the fuzzy dark greenish hair. Suddenly, she pulled out her checkbook and quickly filled out a check.

"Here," Yumiko said, taking Meioh's hand and gently folding the check into it, "For Setsuna's future."

Meioh stared at the young woman that walked towards the hospital exit. _What a strange girl_, he thought. He opened the check and looked at it. His eyes bulged from his head. It couldn't be real!

"Twenty-five MILLION YEN??"

Yumiko smiled briefly at the memory. The Meioh's had indeed cashed the check and deposited it into a trust fund in little Setsuna's name. Yumiko had gone through great pains to make sure that the other Senshi had trust funds set up for them as each were born. And she saw to it that periodic deposits were made into those trust funds.

Yumiko had done a great deal of research into each family a Senshi had been born into. There were really only two girls that she had been concerned about. The Kino's and the Tenoh's.

Uranus had been born as Haruka Tenoh to Akira and Mutsumi Tenoh in January of 1978. But Mutsumi had died in childbirth with Haruka, and neither she nor Akira had any immediate relatives to fall back on for support. Same thing with Wataru and Hiromi Kino and their daughter, Makoto Kino, the reborn Senshi of Jupiter. Except with the Kino's, both of them were currently alive.

Yumiko had approached Akira Tenoh two days after Mutsumi had been pronounced dead. The man was a total mess. Little Haruka stayed in the hospital crying for a mother that wasn't there as Akira tried to figure out what to do without his beloved wife. Yumiko found Akira in the hospital lobby looking unshaven and unwashed and staring blankly out the window.

"Akira Tenoh?"

Tenoh was tall and blonde with sea-green eyes. Not very common traits for a Japanese man. Even having a mother who was Dutch did little to explain his exotic looks. He had found some minor fame as a Formula One racer for Honda Motor Corp, but hadn't been racing lately for obvious reasons. The man had blearily turned to the source of the voice and found Yumiko's musical alter-ego, Yumi Toshinden looking down at him.

"Do I know you?" Tenoh had asked.

Yumiko shook her head. "Not yet. But I have a proposition for you."

Tenoh's face had hardened. "My wife just died two days ago! How dare you come into a hospital and try to proposition me??"

Tenoh found himself suddenly unable to speak. Yumiko removed her finger tip from the small nerve juncture just beneath Tenoh's jawline. Then she pulled him to his feet and pressed a hotel key and a wad of cash into his hand.

"Tenoh-san, you STINK," Yumiko said calmly, "This hotel is across the street. Go to the shop in its lobby and buy yourself a change of clothes. Then, for the love of the gods, go to this room and BATHE."

She pointed to a restaurant that was next door to the hospital.

"I will meet you there in thirty minutes. Don't keep me waiting."

Tenoh had surprised himself by actually following the directions given to him by the strange woman. Thirty minutes later he was clean shaven, showered, dressed in fresh clothing and sitting across from the woman in the small cafe restaurant.

"So who are you and what is it you want from me?" Tenoh asked.

"My name is Yumi Toshinden," Yumiko replied, "I first wish to offer my deepest condolences on the loss of your wife."

Tenoh nodded. "Thank you."

"To be blunt, Tenoh-san," Yumiko went on, "you and your wife did not have much in the way of family, correct?"

Tenoh looked away, his face sad. "Yeah, my parents died when I was still young and my mother's family was mostly in Europe. Mutsumi was an orphan. She didn't get along well with her adoptive parents, so she doesn't..." Tenoh winced slightly, "...DIDN'T talk to them any more."

"I'm very sorry," Yumiko said, "it must be hard now for you."

Tenoh shook his head and placed his hands on the table.

"Toshinden-san," he said, "What is it that you want?"

Yumiko watched him for a moment before answering.

"I want to give you an opportunity to provide for your daughter's future."

"What do you mean?"

Yumiko leaned back in the soft bench of the booth they sat in. To Tenoh, it almost reminded him of a tigress calmly watching her prey.

"I would like you to list me as next of kin for Haruka. Godmother, if you please."

Tenoh's eyes widened and he almost stood up in his outrage.

"I have no idea who you think you are!!" Tenoh shouted, "But if you think I'll do something like that... you're completely crazy!"

"Tenoh-san," Yumiko said in a calm voice. Her eyes glittered coldly. "You are a racecar driver. It's in your blood to race. Did you plan on giving that all up to raise your daughter? To live as a salaryman, perhaps?"

Tenoh fell silent and stared at the brown haired woman across from him. How did she know such things?

"Your wife would be sad if you gave up your dreams," Yumiko went on, "Haruka would grow up with a miserable and depressed father who resented her for being born."

"You have no idea," Tenoh growled, "You have no INKLING as to what my relationship with my daughter will be like! Just who the hell are you??"

"I will be your sponsor."

Tenoh stared at Yumiko for a moment. "What are you saying, exactly?" he asked.

"It's very simple," Yumiko said, "Pick your car, pick your pit crew, pick whomever you want to be on Team Tenoh. I want you to be the juggernaut of the speedway. No advertisements on your car, no ads on your uniform, just you, the car, and the track."

Tenoh was flabbergasted. He stared at the empty eyed woman in wonder. Then doubt began to eat at him.

"And all that you want is to be godmother for Haruka? Why is my daughter so important to you?"

"If anything should happen to you, Haruka would end up in half-assed Child Welfare Services, or worse, with your wife's family. I cannot allow that to happen."

Tenoh slammed his hand down on the table causing the napkin dispenser to jump.

"I don't know what angle you're trying to play, Toshinden-san," Tenoh said, "but I will not leave the future welfare of my newborn daughter in the hands of someone I barely know. Not unless you can at least provide me with a good reason."

"Fine, you want the truth?" Yumiko's eyes narrowed as she glared at Akira Tenoh.

"Yes."

"Your daughter is the reincarnation of a long dead super warrioress that once defended this solar system thousands of years ago."

Tenoh blinked.

"Huh?" he asked intelligently.

"Whatever my reason is," Yumiko said, "it's irrelevant. The fact remains that I want to provide your daughter with an alternative should anything happen to you."

She held up her hands. "Gods be willing that it never becomes necessary. Live a full and normal life, Tenoh-san. Be there to walk your daughter down the aisle when she gets married. I'll even provide a fat trust fund that will become Haruka's when she comes of age. I have more money than anyone could possibly dream of. How I want to spend it is entirely my prerogative."

Tenoh sat quietly for a moment before speaking.

"My mother once told me a European fairy tale in which a woman promised a magical creature her first born child if he spun her straw into gold." He looked up into Yumiko's eyes. "Are you offering to spin my straw into gold in return for my little girl?"

"There is more to the tale than just that," Yumiko responded, "You already know my name and I'm not offering to spin straw into gold for the life of your daughter. I'm offering her a future where she will be safe and secure." she reached out and touched Tenoh's hand. "Let me do this, Tenoh-san. Let me provide Haruka and you the insurance that she will always be all right, no matter what happens."

Tenoh continued to stare into Yumiko's empty brown eyes. There was something about her eyes. Something strange.

_She really wants this._

"T-1000P," Tenoh said finally.

Yumiko blinked. "Come again?"

"You asked me to pick a car," Tenoh replied, "The car I want is my own design. The T-1000P."

Yumiko's eyes seemed to glimmer for a moment.

"You want to build your own car?" Yumiko asked, "That's fine. What engine do you plan to start with? Honda perhaps?"

Tenoh fought down his surprise. "The development costs would be absurd! You really want to pay for that?"

"I told you I can finance your wildest racing dreams," Yumiko said, "And I know that for F1 racing you used to drive for Honda."

She pulled out a small notebook from her pocket and began to jot down some notes.

"How much do you think you would need to start with? Five million? Ten?"

Tenoh crossed his arms and felt his patented 'Arrogant Tenoh' smirk bend his lips.

"Now Toshinden-san," he said slowly, "Ten million yen would not even be nearly enough to start with."

Yumiko glanced up at him. "You seem to misunderstand me. I was speaking in American dollars."

Tenoh felt his smirk vanish and his mouth fell open.

_Ten million DOLLARS?? This can't be real! This has to be bullshit!_

Three weeks later, standing in his shiny new Team Tenoh headquarters and surrounded with several million dollars worth of hardware and tools, Akira Tenoh had his lawyer register Yumi Toshinden as godmother and legal next-of-kin to his daughter.

He even added her to his family registry, just to be sure.

Team Tenoh became an established contender in international F1 racing. Akira put together a highly competent racing team that went on to give Ferrari and McLaren runs for their money. Back in Japan, Akira Tenoh quickly became a national racing hero. Japanese corporate sponsors were practically banging down Akira's door wanting to put their patches on his cars and on his uniforms. Honda Motor Corp had been begging for him to come back.

Haruka went everywhere with her father. Every race Tenoh ran, little Haruka would watch from the pit. She would clap her hands and laugh when the cars buzzed by the pits. By the time she was three years old, she could name car parts and rattle off racing statistics. Akira could sense the latent race car driver in his little girl. The pit crew absolutely adored the little blonde.

To Yumiko's surprise, her relationship with Akira Tenoh had heated up over those first three years of Haruka's life. Her own calculated career as musician Yumi Toshinden had been taking off and bearing fruit. She and Akira often butted heads over silly issues. Usually related to money. When Haruka was three, Akira had wanted to start taking corporate sponsors. Yumiko had a deep seated fear that once Akira did that, he wouldn't need her for anything.

So they fought and argued.

Their yelling matches were legendary, with both Team Tenoh and Yumiko's own backup band and road crew often cringing at the noise.

It culminated into one of their worst fights ever. Yumiko was ready to kill Akira Tenoh on the spot. To take his head right from his shoulders with one blinding sweep of her hand. She just couldn't understand how this stubborn man made her so angry. She hadn't gotten that emotional in thousands of years! So how did this man do it to her?? They finally ended up tumbling into bed and having the angriest, most intense sex ever.

Yumiko couldn't recall the last time she had orgasmed so hard that she nearly passed out. Akira had ridden her like a racecar over a particularily tough stretch of track. She in turn took him down like a conquest of epic proportions. It took a while in the smoldering aftermath for Yumiko to remember the past love she once had, thousands of years before. Except that now she could recall the face of her first husband as a loving memory instead of a painful loss.

After that incident, Akira and Yumiko sort of stopped fighting as much and just skipped forward to the make-up sex. Eventually, the first 'corporate' logo that was painted onto the shiny red hood of Akira's Formula 1 racer was a blood red rose sillouhetted over a silver crescent moon.

For Haruka, Yumiko was pretty much known as 'Mama'. Yumiko would often take pains in showing Haruka the picture of her real mother in her funerary shrine. She didn't like the idea of Haruka growing up without knowing who her real mother was. It didn't help that Yumiko saw another lost daughter that she had loved in Haruka's eyes.

Haruka's personality was almost exactly like her father's. She shared the famous Akira Tenoh trait for extreme stubborness and at six years of age, with her pretty blonde hair and sea-green eyes, she was like a small female version of her father, even manifesting that arrogant yet charming smirk that Yumiko couldn't help but love.

_Akira._

Yumiko rubbed her eyes. She needed to stay focused.

_ Yumiko stood up from the bed. The moonlight flashed across her bare rear and traveled up, highlighting the elaborate black angel wing design that took up most of her back and crested her shoulders. Behind her Akira whistled from the bed._

_"Nice ass, babe!"_

_Yumiko glanced over her shoulder and gave Akira a sultry wink._

_"It is pretty nice, isn't it?" she returned. She had hidden the transformation pen in her hand as she got up. It only really served to make her look physically older. Beyond that, it was one hundred percent her body._

_She finished her business with the toliet and washed up. When she returned to the bedroom, she was surprised to find the lights on and a naked Akira sitting on the floor next to the bed. He grinned at her._

_"Took you long enough! Thought you fell in or something."_

_Yumiko arched one elegant eyebrow at that. Then she crossed her arms, emphasizing her more than modest breasts. _

_"Why are you out of bed?" she asked sweetly._

_Akira pointed to the bed, his face serious. "Please sit down, I have something I want to talk to you about." _

_Mildly perplexed, Yumiko followed his direction. She could sense the man's pulse rate rocketing._

What is he anxious about?

_Akira knelt before Yumiko, spreading her legs slightly and taking her hands in his own._

_"I want to ask you something very important to me," he paused for a moment, "and important to Haruka-chan."_

_"What is it, 'Kira-kun?"_

_He looked up into her eyes. "Yumi, when you first asked me six years ago to make you Haruka's godmother, I thought you were crazy. I said to myself, 'This woman is a certifiable lunatic! A psychopath!'. And when I finally agreed, for the first few years you were still a royal pain in the ass!"_

_Yumiko frowned. "Is this the romantic part?"_

_"Let me finish," Akira paused again, gathering his breath. "You saved us. I was hurting so bad when Mutsumi died..." Akira's voice filled with emotion as he spoke, "I never thought I would admit this, but you were like an angel to us. I've fallen very much in love with you."_

_Akira reached beneath the bed and pulled out a platinum ring with a small brilliant cut diamond setting. Yumiko stared at the ring in his hand, her mouth hanging open._

_"Will you marry me, Yumi Toshinden?"_

_Emotion roiled through Yumiko's mind, obscuring her thought process and making her want to cry. She let go of Akira's hand and grabbed his face, pulling him up off the floor and collapsing back on the bed with him on top of her._

_"Yes," Yumiko whispered._

_They made love repeatedly through the night. It seemed to Yumiko to be even more intense than their first time._

"Papa!!"

Yumiko blinked her eyes, coming out of her revery. The guitar fell from her lap with a musical twang and landed on the carpeted floor as she stood up. She leaped over the couch and moved quickly down the hallway to the bedroom.

* * *

_Haruka stared at the strange dark man that was dressed as a program vendor. Blackness seemed to radiate from the dark man like a smoky dark aura that wreathed his body. _

_"What do you want?" Papa had asked. The garage was strangely empty, lacking the nervous energy of people that would normally be scurrying to make last minute tune-ups to the cars before the race._

_"Why, just to meet the great Akira Tenoh!" the dark man had chortled. When he smiled, it seemed as if his teeth were nothing more than row after row of elongated razors._

Get away from him, papa!_ Haruka wanted to scream, _can't you see the blackness?? Can't you see that he's a bad man??

_"I'm sorry, but I don't give autographs," Papa said, "at least until after the race." He then glanced over at Haruka, and his eyes widened in surprise at Haruka's terrified expression._

_"I just want to touch you..." the dark man said, reaching out a taloned hand and placing it on Papa's shoulder._

_Akira fell to his knees at the touch, his head thrown back in a silent scream. _

_"So much energy," the dark man whispered, "so many people worship you. It gives you so much energy..." He hissed in pleasure as Akira's face went pale._

_Haruka could see the normally warm and rich red color of her papa's presence slowly travel up the stranger's arm, seeming to feed the black aura. _

_"You will still race today," the dark stranger hissed into Akira's face, "You will get into your car and drive like nothing happened." He slowly grinned, his razor teeth gleaming palely, "And maybe, you may last until the third lap."_

_The dark man swiveled his head to face Haruka. His eyes were two pits of empty blackness that seemed to lock onto her face._

_"I'll come back for you some other time, small fry... maybe when you get a little bigger!"_

_Haruka screamed as the dark stranger's laughter echoed in her ears._

Haruka opened her eyes. The scream that had awakened her was her own. She felt comforting arms wrapped around her and her head rested against a familiar busom.

"It's ok, 'Ruka-chan," a voice whispered, bringing comfort, "I'm here. It will all be ok, I promise."

Haruka lifted her eyes to the source of the comforting voice. It was the same youthful face with the faint trace of a silver cresent upon the brow. The face of Mama.

A face from her distant memories, not always of Mama.

"Mama..." Haruka wailed, wrapping her arms around Yumiko. Yumiko held the crying girl, slowly rocking herself back and forth.

It didn't occur to Yumiko until a bit later that she had forgotten the transformation stick.


	6. The Last Race, Part 2

Yumiko held Haruka in her arms, softly singing some random tune that the little girl had always liked. It wasn't long before the small blonde fell back into a fitful sleep. Carefully tucking Haruka back in, Yumiko stood up and noticed her appearance in the bedroom mirror.

_Did Haruka recognize me? She called me 'Mama'...  
_  
An ancient memory of an older girl arrayed in a training uniform briefly popped into Yumiko's mind...

* * *

_"Concentrate," Yumiko said, "You can do this."_

_Haru picked herself up from the floor and assumed a ready position._

_"Begin."_

_A steel ball emerged from the opposite wall and rocketed at the blonde teen. Haru moved her body to the left, swiftly avoiding the projectile. Another ball appeared flying directly for her head. She dodged again. A third ball fired from the wall behind her and hammered painfully into the backs of her legs, knocking them out from under her and sending her back down to the hard floor._

_"End program." Yumiko smoothly padded over to her downed student._

_"They just come too fast, Yumi-sensei!" Haru panted, "I can't dodge them all!"_

_Yumiko knelt down next to Haru and focused her disconcerting brown eyes on Haru's sea-grean orbs._

_"Do you know why you are out of breath?" Yumiko asked._

_Haru shook her head._

_"Because your body is trying to compensate for your strenuous activity. This is a brute force attempt at moving yourself through your environment. You force your body through the air when you really should allow yourself to FLOW."_

Haru hung her head. "Maybe I just can't do it that way."  


_Yumiko regarded the young girl for a moment._

_"You must first regulate your breathing," Yumiko said, "This allows you to feel the flow of _ki_ in your body. When you can feel that, you will also begin to feel the _chi_ in the environment around you. Then you bring the two into balance with each other. This is true _Nao-Ki T'kue-Chi_."_

_"But I can't do it!" Haru yelled. Tears began to form at the edges of her eyes and she looked away._

_Yumiko calmly reached out and cupped Haru's chin in her hand. Then she tilted the girl's head up. Gently, she wiped away Haru's tears._

_"Haru," Yumiko said quietly, "If that is what you truly believe, then that will be the truth. But truth is subjective."_

_"I.. I.. don't understand," Haru whispered._

_"It means that great accomplishments are made by people who believe they can do it. By making their own truths real."_

_"So if I believe strongly enough in something, it can become true?"_

_Yumiko nodded. "Yes, anything."_

_Haru's eyes overflowed with tears again._

_"So why was my mother a person who would sell me to settle her debts? Why weren't you my mother instead?"_

_Yumiko blinked for a moment in brief surprise, then she gently caressed Haru's cheek, wiping away the girl's tears again._

_"Then from today on, the woman who birthed you is in the past. I am your mother now."_

_Haru's eyes widened. "Really?" she whispered._

_Yumiko nodded. She helped Haru back to her feet._

_"And as your mother," Yumiko went on, "the truth that I believe is that you can do this."_

_Haru's eyes grew determined. She wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her uniform and slowly began to grin._

_"I KNOW I can do this now!"_

_Yumiko cocked her head. "And why is that? Because of me?"_

_Haru shook her head. "No. Because it's now MY truth..." she glanced back at Yumiko, her grin still strong, "Mama!"  
_

* * *

_Mama._

Yumiko remembered Haruka's ancient incarnation calling her that. And in truth, Yumiko had felt very much like a mother to all the Senshi back then. But that was only genetic fact with one of those girls...

She pushed the thought from her mind. It pained her heart when she realized that of all the Senshi auras she could sense, there was one that she still could not find.

Shaking her head, Yumiko softly closed the bedroom door behind herself and walked down the hall to her small office. She glanced at the clock before picking up her cordless phone. Then she dialed her manager's number.

There were few people in the world who even had even an inkling as to what Yumiko really was. When Yumiko began her musical career years before, Hitomi Akagi had become one of those few people. The reality was that Yumiko lived a triple life. On one hand, she was Yumi Toshinden, popular and talented guitarist from Japan with more than a few platinum records on the wall and at least two Grammy awards. On the other hand, she was Yumiko Takajima, head of the little known Takajima clan of Japan. The last aspect of herself was the one she kept tightest under wraps. That she was the former Seneschal of the Moon Kingdom.

For the last several thousand years, Yumiko had worked tirelessly in building up the clan Takajima's immense finances. Few people had heard of the Takajimas, and those few barely understood the tremendous wealth and political power behind the Takajima name. What nobody knew was that the entire clan registry consisted of only the names that Yumiko herself had put there. And those names were really nothing more than herself as she quietly descended down through the centuries.

If the real breadth of the Takajima's holdings from around the world were ever made public, the clan would be acknowledged as the richest family in the world. Of course that would never happen. The true extent of the Takajimas remained shrouded in mystery, and carefully protected behind scores of lawyers on retainer in almost every country.

Yumiko casually removed a painting from the wall revealing a elongated wall safe. She listened to her cordless handset, carefully balanced against her ear from her shoulder, waiting for Hitomi to answer as she opened the safe. Inside there were two curved sticks of pitch black and a flat rectangle shaped device. Yumiko allowed herself a small smile as she removed the two sticks. These were her Yoshihiro blades. Two finely crafted katanas made custom for her by Go Yoshihiro back in the year 1322. In the thousands of years that Yumiko had traveled the earth, she had never come across finer blades than these two. By all counts, they were priceless beyond imagining. Not that Yumiko would ever sell them. Yoshihiro had engraved her crescent rose emblem into the steel and even signed the tangs themselves, which was something he was not generally known to do.

The flat device was something else entirely... a remnant of Silver Millenium technology that Yumiko had carried for thousands of years. She considered it to be her most valuable posession. The wafer thin Moon Computer that contained her private journal.

Her journal. It consisted of her private thoughts and experiences since she first came to the Sol System thousands of years ago. To put it all into print, it would fill a warehouse to overflowing with text volumes.

Yumiko closed the safe door.

_Should be time for an entry later..._

"_**Hello??**_" Hitomi's groggy voice finally answered.

"Hitomi-san," Yumiko said, "I have a favor to ask of you..."

* * *

Summertime in Japan tended to be a bit on the humid side. Not that Yumiko minded in the least. Trivial things like weather really made no impact on her in general. She had maintained full control of her bodily functions for close to twenty thousand years, so she never got too hot or too cold. Now Yumiko could feel every molecule of moisture in the air as she moved through the night. Her chest burned in anger and grief causing her overall body temperature to rise and making her actually sweat a little. 

_Youma._

Fuji Speedway was considered one of the most difficult F1 racetracks in the world, but Akira used to drive this track with ease. He used to joke that he could do it blindfolded. He had raced on this track dozens of times.

Yumiko leaped from the top of the street light and landed lightly on the balls of her feet in the parking lot. In her black leather she was simply another shadow in the night as she moved towards the pit garages, running at a speed that would be impossible for a normal human.

With Haruka safely in the care of Hitomi Akagi, Yumiko had first traveled over the rooftops to the Oyama Municpal Morgue. No one had noticed the black on black shadow that entered the building. There, Yumiko viewed the earthly remains of the second only man she had ever loved in the last twenty millennia.

Akira's charred body was covered in it. The blackened ooze of darkness, the lingering miasma of a youma.

_Akira..._

The ancient Seneschal of the Moon wept silently over Akira Tenoh.

Now she stood in the empty pit garage of Team Tenoh. The shattered and burned remains of Akira's beloved T-1000P Formula One racecar lay piled in one corner with a tarp over it. Like its former driver, it was damaged beyond all recognition. And it too reeked of youma.

"So the mighty Moon Seneschal comes at last."

Yumiko's body was in motion before the sentence had even reached its mid point. She had sensed the youma's presence like a black and empty pit in her mind. Her two katanas with their plain black fittings were drawn and in her hands. The youma reacted with similar speed, just barely dodging her lightning like attack. Yumiko relentlessly pressed on. Instead of her usual calm and cool ki, her anger and rage flooded her two swords making them almost glow with a crimson light.

The youma jumped up into the air and floated above. Bolts of black energy emerged from its fists and tore up the concrete floor around the Moon Seneschal. With an empty face, Yumiko leaped into the air, spinning her body with her blades extended. The startled youma just barely ducked as her sword sliced effortlessly through a concrete support beam. It flew itself to the farthest corner of the cavernous garage.

"Hear me out, Seneschal!" a voice called out. A black globe floated towards the center of the garage with an image forming in the center.

Yumiko was silent, her body already moving towards the youma. Striving. Aching to deliver that final blow that would dissolve this abomination into empty dust.

"We spared your little girl, Seneschal," the voice from the globe said, "but that doesn't mean she's safe."

That made Yumiko stop. She turned towards the floating globe. "What did you say?"

"We can take your little girl any time we want," the image in the globe finished forming. It appeared to be a humanoid figure wrapped in a black cloak that obscured most of its features, "but I wanted to talk to you tonight."

Yumiko lowered her swords as the youma at the other end of the garage glared back at her warily.

"In exactly one minute," she said, "I am going to end this farce by cleaving your globe in half, and then cutting the head off that youma."

"I don't think so," the figure in the globe smirked, "do you know who I am?"

"I don't care who you are."

"You should care. My name is Danburite, of the Dark Agency." the figured in the globe seemed to lean slightly in the direction of the youma in the garage. "Rax, show the Moon Seneschal where Xor is."

Rax held his taloned hands above his head, releasing dark murk in a large globular pattern. An image began to form in the murky cloud. An image of a bedroom.

A very familiar bedroom. With a very familiar looking little girl sleeping fitfully on the large bed.

Yumiko felt her stomach drop into her knees. "What is this?" she whispered.

"That is Xor, Rax's brother," Danburite said, "Rax and Xor are pretty much two halves of the same creature. What one sees, the other sees. They are connected at the mind. Right now Xor is standing in your bedroom. Isn't that right, Rax?"

The image bounced up and down as Rax nodded.

"Xor is waiting for the order to kill that child."

Yumiko stared at the image floating in the cloud. Her face was empty but her mind was in turmoil.

_That can't be real... can it?_

"By your silence I would venture to guess that you don't quite believe me," Danburite said, "but I'm prepared to prove it. Rax..."

The youma motioned with his black hand, forming a phone shape that he put to his head. Across the garage, the wall mounted phone duplicated the youma's action.

Yumiko could hear a number being dialed, then the phone rang until it was picked up.

_**"Hello?**_"

"Hey Hitomi-chan," Rax said. His voice was a perfect rendition of Yumiko's soft contralto. "Would you mind just taking a quick peek at Haruka?"

There was a brief pause.

Many miles away, Hitomi Akagi flipped off the television and stood up. She glared at the inoffensive phone receiver in her hand as if it had just bitten her.

"Yumi," Hitomi said, feeling a little annoyed, "She's probably still sleeping." _Just like I should have been! And what's with the 'chan'??  
_  
"_**I know**_," the voice on the phone said, "_**I just want you to have a quick look in on her. I was feeling a little worried, that's all**_."

Hitomi glanced at the receiver again.

_ Feeling a little worried?? Then COME HOME!!_

"Fine, hang on."

Hitomi gently placed the cordless receiver on the table and then calmly padded down the short hallway to the bedroom. She opened the door just slightly wide enough for the hall light to cast a narrow band of illumination over the sleeping child's face. Other than a mild expression of discomfort, Haruka appeared to be still in the bed and still asleep. Hitomi closed the door and returned to the living room where she picked up the phone again.

"She's just fine, Yumi. Still sleeping."

Back in the pit garage, the youma responded with a triumphant smile. The image that Yumiko saw in the black cloud had showed everything she needed to believe that Haruka's life was in danger. She could almost sense the dark youma that hid in the shadows of the bedroom when Hitomi had opened the door.

"Thanks, Hitomi-chan," Rax said, still in Yumiko's voice, "I'll be home soon. Bye bye."

Yumiko fell to her knees on the concrete floor, her katanas laying next to her.

_ How?? How did I not see this?_

The globe slowly descended to the floor.

"So you see," Danburite's dark image said, "we currently hold all the cards."

"What do you want?"

Danburite cocked his shadowy head. "You've been hunting our youma for thousands of years. We want you to stop."

Yumiko narrowed her eyes.

"I can't do that."

Laughter echoed from the glowing crystal orb.

"I didn't think you would simply say 'yes'," Danburite finally chuckled, "That's why I went this far just to convince you. Imagine, searching for a method to end the crusade of the Seneschal of the Moon herself! It was almost hopeless! Then I catch your stupid crescent rose emblem on this human's car on TV. How careless of you!"

Yumiko was silent. Her cold eyes focused Danburite's image.

"Consider the death of your man as a warning," Danburite went on, "by now, every youma on this planet will know the strong energy signature of your precious little girl. There will be no safe place on Earth for her to hide. Interfere with our work, and Haruka Tenoh will die."

Yumiko slowly got to her feet. She carefully sheathed her two katanas.

"I will make a counter-offer to your supposed 'deal'," she said softly, her eyes glittering with a cold fire.

"You're hardly in a position to-"

"Be silent Danburite or I will end these 'negotiations' right now."

There was a click from the floating globe, as if Danburite's teeth snapped together.

"If your current flunky, 'Xor', so much as touches a hair on that girl's head," Yumiko went on, "I will take this fight beyond anything you ever deemed possible. I will find you, Danburite. Do not presume to think that you could possibly hide from ME. I will scour this globe until you are located. Then I will kill you in the most painful manner imaginable."

Yumiko took a deep breath before continuing.

"I will back down for now," she said, "only because a day is coming where I will no longer be needed to hunt your kind."

"Then you will kill no more youma?" Danburite asked.

Yumiko glared over at Rax, her eyes showing uncharacteristic hatred.

"One of these monsters killed Akira," Yumiko said softly, "I will reserve the right of killing it for someone else."

"Then you don't mind if Rax takes a token of your good faith with him," Danburite said.

The youma in question drifted over to the shattered race car under the tarp where it sank through the canvas like a ghost. There was a loud crunching of metal, then suddenly the tarp flew from the car. An engine roared in the dark confines of the pit garage. Yumiko stared at the magically restored T-1000P car as it smoked its rear tires and sped past her through the garage door, quickly blending into the night.

"You bastards," Yumiko whispered.

"Xor should be leaving your residence right now," Danburite said in a smug voice, "these negotiations are finished. Perhaps someday we can meet for real."

Yumiko's katana flashed like blurred light, slicing cleanly through the floating crystal globe. The two halves of the black ball fell to the ground, quickly disintegrating.

"Meeting me would be the last thing you would ever do, Danburite," Yumiko replied.

She turned and sped from the darkened pit garage, vanishing into the night like a shadow.

* * *

_She ran with all her might, her legs pumping the bellows of her lungs as if fueling a forge. The five great moons cast their dull light down through the meta-city's plex-steel dome, giving the night and almost ethereal quality as she moved. Her heart beat a quick staccato rhythm in her chest and the very air she breathed felt like fire. But she couldn't stop. She didn't DARE stop._

_It was in her panic-driven haste that she failed to see the dark clad figure step in front of her. She slammed into it dead on. It was like running head first into granite. She bounced off and landed on her rear in the dirty alley._

_"I've finally found you, Haru," the figure's voice was calm, feminine, and soft, like the gentle caress of wind across Haru's cheek. She felt strangely calmed by the voice. "Great things lie in your future, Princess."_

Princess??

_"There she is, boys! Let's have a party!" The voices came from the alleyway's entrance. Fear suddenly clenched at Haru's heart._

_"Please!" Haru begged on her knees, "We must run! Those men..."_

_"Are after you, are they?" the cloaked woman murmured. She placed a black-gloved hand on Haru's head. "Their desires mean nothing to me. They simply shall not have you."_

_The cloaked woman seemed to flow gracefully around Haru, placing herself between Haru and the five burly looking men that gathered in the mouth of the alley._

_"I will warn you once," the woman said in a commanding voice, "Leave now and I will spare your lives. This girl is under my protection."_

_The men sauntered forward, their leader looking the most smug as they approached._

_"Well what do we got here, hmm?" he grinned a great gap-toothed smile, "Sounds like a more grown up bit of fluff, hey boys?" He crossed his arms and looked down at the smaller figure. "That little girl owes me her ass. I bought her fair and square from her mother and I intend on breaking that ass in tonight."_

_"The queen does not recognize such barbaric contracts."_

_The big man leaned forward and leered. "Well the queen ain't down here in the real world. Now get outta my way, or I'll have your ass as well."_

_The cloaked woman bowed her head slightly, calmly removing her black gloves. _

_"You are correct. The queen is not here. But I am." _

_Her cloak suddenly billowed out and she blurred forward becoming almost invisible._

_The men's leader choked as his whole body was upended with a lightning-like knife-hand to his throat and foot that swept the backs of his feet out from under him. His windpipe was crushed and he gagged clutching at his throat as he lay thrashing on his back in the filthy alley. The other men blinked, then surged forwards to their doom._

_Haru's eyes widened as she watched the cloaked woman tear through the men like a scythe through wheat. Bare-handed. A graceful dance of death that she could not look away from. Within seconds the fight was over. The woman's cloak fluttered about her form again as she turned and approached Haru. She knelt down before the stunned girl._

_"I've come a long way looking for you, young one." She gently lifted her hood and revealed the calm and beautiful visage of a young woman with flowing brown hair tied into a neat braid. Her empty brown eyes seemed to reflect the ambient moonlight that filtered gently down upon them from the night sky and a silver crescent moon faintly glowed from her forehead._

_"You have an important destiny, Princess," the woman said, "to become one of the mightiest of the Sailor Senshi. Sailor Uranus."  
_

* * *

Haruka jolted upright with a gasp. Her wide eyes scanned the bedroom. Then she felt it. The lingering darkness. 

The monster had been there. But it was now gone.

Haruka let her head fall back onto the pillow, her small form trembling. Then she remembered her dream and felt her body relax.

_That woman with the glowing crescent. It was Mama._

Haruka couldn't tell how she knew that, but it felt like the truth.

_Because I believe it's true._

A gentle smile formed on Haruka's face as she slowly drifted back to sleep. Then one word skittered across her awareness.

_Uranus... What does that mean?_

* * *


	7. Age of Silver, Part 01

_Its been a while since I updated. For that I apologize. It's been a crazy life with work and stuff. At any rate, this is the first chapter of what I hope to be an epic story arc. It may seem to be a little rough around the edges, but that's because I consider it to be somewhat of a first draft. Anyways, please read and review! And thanks to all that have reviewed me so far. _

_Oh, on another note, the whole 'lasgun' idea was a minor tribute to Frank Herbert's Dune. Awesome book series. I highly recommend it._

_Standard disclaimers apply, I don't own anything to do with Sailor Moon or its associated properties. But I own Yumiko. I made her. She's mine. :-)_

_--MeatLips  
_

* * *

**Part 01: A Royal Birthday**_  
_

* * *

**Sol System, 7998 FLP (Founding of Lunar Prime), 998th year of Queen Serenity XV, 19226 BCE  
**

* * *

For billions of years the mighty Sun shone in the center of the Sol system. It was the witness to the first stirrings of life as it cast daylight upon the third planet from itself. It watched when visitors from other galaxies began to colonize its orbiting bretheren, and it bore witness to the rise and fall of the mightiest heroines the galaxy had ever seen... more than once. Today the sun bore witness to something new. Something different. Something that seemed to be borne from itself. Ejected from its fiery core. The shockwave sent violent ripples crashing across the surface of the sun with fiery waves of flame...

* * *

Elegance ruled the Royal Court of the Moon as the shimmering earthlight shone down through the crystal dome. The great ballroom of Lunar Prime was alive with the sounds of celebration. The elite of a hundred star systems had come this night for one purpose:

To celebrate a birthday.

_The kingdom's birthday,_ Serena thought with a shiver, _Which happens to be my birthday as well.  
_  
She stood on the crystalline balcony outside her sitting room that overlooked the Great Ballroom. Far below her, various heads of state from countless worlds danced in an almost surreal synchronosity, couples spinning like pinwheels in the wind.

_I wonder what the wind is like._

"Come on Serena," a voice said from behind the princess, "you're already supposed to be downstairs."

Serena turned around to face the cloudy grey gaze of the impatient Princess of Mercury.

While not a real princess, at least in the royal sense, the woman in front of Serena was one of the formidable Guardians of the Kingdom. A Sailor Senshi. As a living patron saint of Mercury, Anya, like the other Senshi, was granted the title of princess.

Serena envied the Senshi. Just watching Anya alone made Serena jealous of the other's innate beauty. When the four Senshi Guardians were arranged around Serena in their traditional positions, it made Serena feel woefully inadequate.

_Like a rough piece of moonstone surrounded by polished jewels._

The Senshi were powerful. They wielded magic and skill in a manner that made them legendary throughout the Lunar Kingdom. A kingdom that had grown to encompass a hundred star systems.

_A kingdom that I'm supposed to someday rule..._ The thought sent a chill up Serena's spine. She shook her head to clear it of such dark thoughts, and then straightened her long twin tails of blond hair that mirrored the hairstyle of her mother.

_I shouldn't have to worry about that for a long time. _

She glanced over the edge of the balcony again, looking for the familiar black tresses of another Guardian Senshi.

_I have more immediate things to worry about right now.  
_  
"Do you think Bell is still mad at me?" Serena asked.

Anya sighed, then sat down on the nearby divan.

"Why would you think that?" She finally asked.

Serena's piercing sapphire eyes looked downcast as she bowed her head.

"She really yelled at me the other day. And she hasn't spoken to me since."

Anya leaned back on her hands and regarded the other girl.

"Well," she said, "you did burn a hole through her personal quarters and cut all her furniture in half. But I don't think that's why you haven't heard from her."

Tears welled up in Serena's eyes.

"But I swear I didn't know that lasgun was loaded!" Serena exclaimed.

The princess of Mercury shook her head. Serena still didn't get it. It wasn't the damage to her personal belongings that set the Mars Princess off. It was what could have happened to the Princess of the Moon. Part of the responsibility of the Guardian Senshi was to protect the Crown Princess. This was supposed to entail teaching her ways to defend herself. That was a little extra caveat that had been ordered by the Seneschal of the Moon herself.

When Serena had been born, Yumiko, the Moon Seneschal had sensed the powerful aura that the child gave off. The potential for becoming a very powerful Senshi. Yumiko had been the one to find and train the other eight Senshi, and they had achieved legendary status. So naturally she had been eager to train Serena to become a Senshi as well. The problem was that not even Yumiko knew which Senshi Serena would become. There were nine planets in the solar system. Each planet had its own Senshi with the exception of the Earth and Lunar Prime. The Moon Seneschal had doubted that Serena was Sailor Terra, so that left the Moon itself. Anya remembered Ceres half-jokingly suggesting that Serena must be Sailor Moon. Yumiko hadn't laughed at that. Quite the opposite. She disappeared into the Royal Archives for two days before going to the Queen with her findings.

Whichever Sailor Senshi that Serena would have been become was irrelevant however. The Great Council had passed a formal resolution with two thirds majority that denied the creation of any new Sailor Senshi. The Queen had no real choice but to agree to their resolution lest she lose political face. The Council really feared a Senshi as powerful as Serena would have been, being under direct control of the Queen. Anya had to grudingly agree with their reasoning, especially when Yumiko said that she sensed Serena had the potential ability to force a sun to destroy itself. The Moon Seneschal had winced noticably when she had mentioned that. Besides, the Sailor Senshi themselves had always been a sticking point to the Great Council. They wanted to have control of them, but the Queen kept that power tied to the Crystal Throne. So the council did other things, like passing their resolutions.

So Yumiko charged the four Inner Guardian Senshi with Serena's education. Not to make her a Senshi, but to teach her the fighting arts. Serena's inherent clumsiness made this extremely difficult and mentally taxing. What the Moon Seneschal wanted was to imbue the Moon Princess with at least some modicum of mental discipline. Anything to help the girl maintain control of herself if and when her latent powers began to surface. What the Guardian Senshi had gotten after trying to teach Serena for the last two standard years, was an easily excitable girl who tended to trip over her own feet.

The laws of probability seemed to go askew when it came to the Moon Princess. Artemis, the Queen's advisor, had postulated that it was because Serena's presence was strong enough to influence the universe around her. Anya's own observations and research seemed to support that hyphothesis. It was almost as if Chaos itself was out to get the girl.

Case in point:

Two days before, Serena found herself near the personal chambers of the Guardian Senshi. Somewhere along the line she had picked up a military grade fusion powered lasgun. The weapon fired focused beams of pure energy that could cut through anything. Serena herself couldn't even remember where she had gotten it. Just that she was holding it in her hands and playing with it (although she claimed otherwise), and the next thing she knew, the weapon fired. It startled her, and her first instinct was to throw it away. Unfortunately it was still firing at the time.

The lasgun spun through the air swinging its beam in a horizontal arc that would have neatly bisected the Moon Princess if she hadn't been tackled to the ground by Bellona. The Senshi of Mars disintegrated the lasgun with a Flaming Sniper before it even hit the ground and swept through their position. She then proceeded to give Serena the most verbal and colorful scolding of the young girl's life. That was where Anya and the accompanying Royal Guards found them. Bellona was furious and yelling, and the Crown Princess of the Moon Kingdom was sobbing.

Anya sighed again. The only real collateral damage was Bellona's chambers. The lasbeam had cut through the wall, her door, and swept through her furniture. It actually could have been worse, had Bellona been in her quarters at the time. But Anya knew that wasn't why Bellona was so angry. The Princess of Mars had been terrified of what might have happened if she hadn't gotten there in time.

_Bellona loves you, _Anya thought, watching Serena, _Just like we all do, you silly girl._

"So are we finally pretty enough to come down?"

The Princess of Jupiter grinned her wide smile making her delicate lips part slightly as she entered the sitting room. She closed the door behind herself.  
Serena blushed and walked back in from the balcony, nervously rubbing her gloved hands together.

Anya shook her head. "There's no need to tease, Hera."

Hera rolled her elegant shoulders in a graceful shrug. "Who's teasing?" she asked.

Serena looked away towards the door. Hera looked beautiful in her pale satin gown. It made Serena feel painfully plain in her own silver and gossamer gown.

_I'm like the ugly little stepsister being protected by four winged angels._

The sitting room's door opened and closed again, this time admitting Ceres, the Princess of Venus. The blond haired and blue-eyed woman quickly descended on Serena.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Serena," Ceres said with a warm smile. She gently took Serena's hands in her own, "Everyone is waiting for you, you know."

Serena took a deep breath and glanced around the room. Still no Bellona.

_She must hate me._

Serena tightened her resolve, forced a smile onto her face, and ignored the pain in her heart.

"Lets go then," she said.

* * *

"Nine hundred and ninety eight years," Selene said quietly, "and I still hate these state gatherings."

"I thought this kingdom was much older than that," the elegantly dressed brown eyed woman said from where she stood next to the throne.

"It is older. This will be the seven thousandth, nine hundred and ninety eighth year anniversary of the founding of the Sol System."

"Is that right?" Yumiko murmured. Her eyes studied the crowd of people as they danced passed the raised dais. Selene marveled for a moment at the figure Yumiko cut. Even in her elegant blue evening gown, the Moon Seneschal was constantly alert. Standing statue still, Yumiko's body still gave the impression of a coiled spring, always on the verge of exploding into action. On her forehead glowed a silver crescent moon and on the blue ribbon choker on her throat lay the Moon Sensechal's personal insignia: A rose superimposed over a crescent moon.

"Well," Selene said, letting her own arctic gaze drift out into the crowd, "today is important to me for another reason."

"The birth of Serena," Yumiko replied. From the corner of Selene's eye, she caught a brief glimpse of a smile drift across Yumiko's features before the Moon Seneschal's expression resumed it's cold and impersonal vigil.

"The birth of OUR daughter," Selene said softly to herself.

"Every year that passes for that child, I cherish deeply," Yumiko said quietly, "She WILL become Queen someday."

Selene nodded slightly. Memories of the days that followed Serena's birth intruded into her thoughts, reminding her of a dark mirror that hung in her bedchamber.

_"...since you will not accept my presence, I will leave you with this gift instead. The era of the Moon Kingdom will soon come to an end. The child will never live to take her place upon the Crystal Throne, and YOU will be the last Queen Serenity of this Silver Millennium!"_

Selene briefly closed her eyes and forced the ancient voice back into her memories. It wouldn't do to dwell on false prophesies. At least what she prayed was a false prophecy.

_I will concentrate on the joy that surrounded her birth... not the darkness._

"Your Majesty," a male voice said from the base of the dais, interrupting Selene's ruminations. The tall white haired Mau in white robes bowed slightly, his whispy whiskers wavering with the motion. A gold crescent glowed upon his brow matching the polished golden pendant that hung on his chest. "The Elysion party is here."

"Excellent, Artemis," Selene said. She resumed her customary command voice and composed her features into her standard 'wisdom' face. It was a look she worked on for many years, simply because in dealing with boring matters-of-state, Selene found that if she looked wise and patient, people would be less likely to question her judgment. In private, Yumiko referred to this look as Selene's 'Queen' face. Selene wasn't sure if the Moon Seneschal was being sarcastic or not.

Behind Artemis stood three people. One of them was a tall and imposing man and the other was slightly shorter and obviously younger. The third was a red-haired woman with a gentle face and piercing golden eyes. The men wore stylish grey uniforms with shimmering golden highlights on the younger man's clothing. Gold hilted swords hung from their hips with the hilts showing some decent wear.

"My Queen," Artemis began, gesturing to the young man, "May I present to you: Prince Endymion of Elysion."

The prince stepped forward allowing the ambient light to shine more fully onto his face. Selene raised an elegant eyebrow. While not yet past eighteen standard years, the young Endymion already exhibited a distinct grace and beauty in his bearing. The storm grey eyes that peered from beneath the deep black cloud of neatly brushed hair were bright and intelligent as he looked up into the Queen's face. Behind him, Selene noticed the golden eyed woman seemed to be watching the young prince with a slight smile on her face.

"Your Majesty," Endymion said with a bow. His voice was rich and strong. "I bring you greetings from my father back on Earth."

"We are pleased to see you've grown up so well, young Endymion," Selene said with a warm smile, "We've heard good things about you. How is King Gaius faring these days?"

Endymion smiled brightly. "Not too badly, Highness. He was sorry that his health would not allow for him to make this trip. But Lord Helios is with him."

_Now that is a killer smile,_ Selene thought with some amusement.

"Lord Kunzite," Yumiko said from next to the throne. Her voice was icy. "It's been awhile."

The other man stood behind the prince with his arms crossed. He was the tallest of the three and had long silver white hair that hung down to his shoulders. Cold blue-grey eyes locked with cold brown ones. Kunzite narrowed his eyes as the two warriors seemed to engage in a silent test of wills.

"Seneschal Yumiko. Indeed it has been awhile." Kunzite's voice was deep and it rumbled in his chest like a heavy wave crashing against a reef.

Selene could almost feel the waves of ice flowing off the Moon Seneschal. It was a mild surprise to the Queen, since the Moon Seneschal was famous for burying her emotions. Even with her own sensitive empathic abilities, Selene found Yumiko to be a hard nut to crack at times.

"I must assume you found my security detail to be sub par, since you are here personally escorting the young prince," Yumiko said.

"It's my prerogative to distrust any security not provided by myself when it comes to the safety of my prince," Kunzite replied.

Selene sighed inwardly. She knew that a sad and painful history existed between the Seneschal of the Moon and the leader of the Shitennou. It was something that Yumiko rarely, if ever, spoke of.

Endymion turned to face the taller man. "Peace, Kunzite. We are guests here. We should be showing more appreciation and respect." Endymion's tone indicated that this was not a request.

Selene arched her eyebrow again. Despite the boy's youth, he already had the commanding presence of a king.

Kunzite merely nodded. "As my prince commands."

Endymion turned back to the dais. "Please forgive his rudeness, your Majesty."

"It is quite alright, Prince Endymion," Selene said calmly, "However, we must also ask your forgiveness for the rudeness of our own Seneschal." She cast a quick sharp glare at Yumiko.

Yumiko clasped her hands in front of her and slightly tilted her head.

"My apologies, Lord Prince."

"No insult taken, Moon Seneschal," Endymion replied with a slight bow of his own.

"If I may be so bold," Artemis said, "I still would like to present one more person to her Royal Majesty." He gestured to the golden-eyed woman. "This is Councilor Beryl DuCharme."

"Ah," Selene said, "the new Councilor-Elect from Earth. We are pleased to finally make your aquaintance, Councilor."

The Councilor bowed. "I look forward to working with you, Majesty."

"We look forward to it as well. We expect great things from the youngest Council member," Selene said, "For now, we invite you all to join the celebration. Artemis has arranged for a Royal table upon the parapet for you to rest."

The Earth party bowed to the Queen and then left following Artemis.

"I really hate that man," Yumiko muttered.

Selene turned a hard eye to the Moon Seneschal.

"The least you could have done is kept quiet."

"I'm sorry, Selene," Yumiko replied, her face still expressionless, "but I don't really trust the Shitennou, and Kunzite..." The Seneschal let her voice taper off. Having nothing pleasant to say, she opted to not to say anything.

Selene sighed. Yumiko's face rarely ever changed expressions in public, making it extremely difficult to guess what the Moon Seneschal was thinking. But Selene had seen that face with a variety of expressions. Anger, sadness... Selene smiled wryly to herself, even passion. She knew what had happened between Kunzite and Yumiko, but she wondered idly why that anger and distrust had extended to encompass all four guardians of the Earth Prince. Selene glanced at Yumiko's face again. Perhaps they were guilty by association? Selene doubted that. Yumiko was never petty in her regard.

Artemis returned to take his place next to the throne. Selene's thoughts promptly shifted to wondering what kind of body the Mau had under his white clothes. Was it lean? Muscular? Was it covered in fine fur? Normally Artemis preferred to be in his smaller cat body. But for formal occassions, Selene insisted he change to his more humanoid form. She felt it was difficult enough to take the Mau seriously as an advisor when he was a talking cat. Besides, he was infinitely more pleasing to look at this way.

"Is the party comfortable, Artemis?" Selene asked.

Artemis nodded, a slight downturn of his elegant face bobbing in Selene's direction. "Yes Majesty. However Councilor Beryl has opted to join the rest of the Council members."

"She'll get tired of them soon enough," Selene said with a small smile.

"Ah, here comes Serena," Yumiko suddenly said, her face melting into one of her rare warm expressions. At least from that expression Selene could tell that Yumiko loved Serena like her own daughter. It also came from the little concealed feelings of affection that the Seneschal radiated. Selene just wished that the associated warm expression that Yumiko currently had would appear on her face more often. It had the effect of really showing just how beautiful the Seneschal of the Moon really was.

* * *

"The Princess Serena Serenity Marenitis!" The herald proclaimed. The dancing almost immediately came to a stop as did the music. From the far end of the chamber in the half-shell shaped orchestra pit, great horns played their bright music to announce the coming of Royalty. A thousand heads turned to gaze at the elegant Crown Princess of the Moon Kingdom.

_Please,_ Serena thought to herself, _Please don't let me trip on my way down._

As if it were an unwritten law, as in all things that Serena experienced in her life so far, whatever outcome she expressively wished for in any given situation generally would not be the outcome she would receive. Her right foot suddenly caught on the hem of her gown and Serena stumbled and started to pitch forward...

...then stopped. Upon each of her shoulders rested a warm and comforting hand. A third hand rested against her leg. The cumulative effect of all three hands was an instant stability that prevented the Crown Princess of the Moon Kingdom from tumbling her way unceremoniously down the wide crystal stairs.

"Don't worry, Serena," Ceres said softly into Serena's ear, her face smiling, "we'll always support you."

On Serena's other side, Hera winked at her then whispered, "We won't let you fall."

"Now don't cry, Serena," Anya said from in front, "It's bad form to see your mother in such a formal setting with wet cheeks."

Serena blinked back her tears. Why couldn't Bellona be there as well?

"Thank you," she whispered.

The music resumed in the background. The faces in the crowd were a mixture of awe and wonder as Serena and her three Guardians slowly finished descending the crystal stairs, her near fall almost invisible. A path opened up to the raised dais where the Queen sat upon a silver throne. Serena concentrated on the face of her mother. Queen Serenity's beauty seemed to shine like a star. Her silver-white tresses sparkled with moonstone ornaments just above the glowing gold moon crescent upon the Queen's brow. Serenity's eyes twinkled and a warm smile graced her features as Serena approached the dais.

On the right side of the queen stood the stunning Seneschal of the Moon. The brown haired and brown-eyed woman wore a simple yet elegant evening gown of dark blue that left her shoulders bare of anything except for the black tips of the elaborate winged tattoo on her back. Her silver moon crescent also glowed with its own soft light. On the left side stood the handsome white-haired advisor Artemis. The Mau wore simple white robes that were set off by the glowing golden crescent on his brow.

The Seneschal's face had lit up with an uncommon warmth as Serena and the three Senshi ascended the dais. Serena couldn't help but smile at the woman as she seated herself on her own silver chair next to the throne and the three Senshi took up their positions on the dais. Yumiko had been like a second mother. Sometimes more of a mother than Selene herself, which wasn't necessarily fair to the Queen. Selene tried to spend as much time as possible with Serena, but it was difficult with the heavy responsibilities she had. Yumiko would often have to go out of her way to arrange for the two of them to have time together.

"Good evening, Mother," Serena said with practiced ease. She could feel her mother's love flowing from the queen in warm pink waves. It never ceased to ease Serena's anxiety and make her feel warm.

"Good evening, Daughter," Selene responded.

"You look beautiful, little rabbit," Yumiko remarked. Her face had transformed back into its normal blank expression. Serena couldn't help but grin at the Seneschal's nickname for her. As far back as the moon princess could remember, Yumiko had always called her 'little rabbit'. Except when the older woman was displeased with her. The Moon Seneschal's emotions were normally hidden behind a mask of blank apathy that very rarely dropped. But Serena knew that if Yumiko called her by name, it was likely not to pay her any compliment.

* * *

Endymion couldn't take his eyes away from the four beauties that had descended the sweeping crystal stairs. Particularly the girl in the middle. The minute the herald had announced her name, Endymion knew which girl was the princess by the hairstyle that matched that of the Queen herself. Long sweeping tails of spun gold fluttered behind the stunning girl as she moved. The other three women shone like jewels in sunlight, but the princess glowed like a diamond. Even from that distance he could see her piercing blue eyes set like sapphires in her elegant face. Twin pools of deep placid blue that seemed to ensnare his very soul and hold it prisoner.

"Beautiful," Endymion whispered.

"What was that, my prince?"

Endymion turned his head slightly towards Kunzite, still not taking his eyes off the Princess Serena. "I said 'beautiful'."

Kunzite turned his eyes to follow where the prince was looking. He frowned slightly as his ice cold gaze took in the sight.

"I presume you are speaking of the Princess and her retinue," he said, "I suppose they are rather pleasing to look at."

Endymion stood up from their table. "I think I will ask her to dance."

Kunzite arched an eyebrow at that. The princess's brief stumble on the crystal stairs hadn't escaped his sharp eyes.

"You'd be asking for trouble with that one, my lord," Kunzite remarked, "I suspect your feet wouldn't last very long with that sort of abuse."

The prince stood silently for a moment before turning to address Kunzite again.

"Kunzite," Endymion said, "Is there a history between you and Seneschal Yumiko?"

The crystal flute in Kunzite's hand paused in its journey from the table to his mouth. He arched his brow again at the young prince.

"Why do you ask, lord prince?"

Endymion sat back down at the table and stared intently at the Shitennou leader.

"It just seemed pretty obvious that she doesn't like you," Endymion said quietly.

Kunzite chuckled, a deep throaty growl that emanated from within his chest. His mirth failed to reach his stormy eyes though.

"A lot of people don't like me, Highness," Kunzite replied with a dark smile, "She just happens to be one of many." He drained his flute and placed it down on the table before continuing. "It just so happens that I'm not too fond of her either."

Endymion was silent again, pondering.

"Would you tell me what happened between you?" Endymion finally asked.

Kunzite motioned to one of the waitstaff and retrieved a freshly filled crystal flute. He loosened his collar slightly before focusing back on the young prince.

"If you really must know," he said, "Many years before you were even born, that moon witch and I were married."

Endymion's eyes widened in surprise. "Married??"

"Is that so surprising?"

The young prince nodded his head. "Yes! What happened?"

Kunzite's face darkened and he drained his second flute with a scowl. "We had a falling out... over a difference of opinion."

"A difference of opinion? On what?"

Kunzite shook his head. "Please, Highness. There are some things I'd prefer not to speak about." He gestured towards the dais where the Moon Princess had finally seated herself. "If you wish to dance with the princess, I suggest you go and ask her. But take this bit of advice with you..."

The tall silver-haired man leaned towards his prince, a serious look in his storm-grey eyes.

"When the dance is over, forget about her."

Endymion blinked.

"You make it sound like I intend to do more."

The Shittenou leader merely stared at the Elysion prince. His eyes seemed to briefly reflect a great depth of wisdom and pain before clouding over into his customary coldness.

"I can recognize the beginnings of love in your eyes, Endymion," Kunzite said simply, "I'm quite familiar with that look."

The young prince's face flushed red with the heat of his embarrassment.

"W-what are you talking about?" he stammered, "Love...?"

"Yes, 'love'. That errant little emotion that makes you lose all rational thought." Kunzite drained his crystal flute and put down on the table next to its brother. Then he called for another with a wave of his hand. Before long, he planned to have a whole family of crystal flutes gathered before him. "You are the crown prince of Elysion. You cannot allow anything to cloud your judgment."

_Cloud my judgment... _He glanced back at the princess on her distant throne.

Endymion normally maintained his self control with an iron fist. It wouldn't do to get embarrassed and flustered, especially in front of Kunzite. The man would just use it as an excuse to train Endymion harder in the art of war. However, what the Shittenou leader had been saying made some sort of strange sense in the young prince's mind.

Warmth. He had felt warmth in his heart when he gazed at the princess. Warmth and at the same time, anxiety.

_ Am I falling for a girl that I've never even met face to face? Is that even possible??_

Endymion couldn't deny the attraction. He had to meet this princess. Dance with her. Look into those shimmering blue eyes and guess at the content of her soul.

_When the dance is over, forget about her._

Kunzite's words echoed in Endymion's mind. I am a Prince of Elysion, above all other things. My first responsibility is to the Golden Kingdom on Earth.

Endymion stood up again. Kunzite looked up at his prince over his slowly growing forest of crystal flutes. Then the lights darkened and they both found their eyes drawn to the back of the hall.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the court. Distinguished dignitaries of our member star systems. Please, a moment of your time."

The woman's voice was strong and feminine and it rang out clearly from the half-shell orchestra pit at the back of the great ballroom. The great crowd of people slowly stilled as their attention was riveted as one to the source of the voice.

A single spotlight emanated from one of the flowing blue crystals that adorned the gem-like ceiling of the ballroom and it focused down upon a woman's figure. She stood on a small platform that rose above the orchestra pit. Long ebony tresses cascaded down the back of her glimmering ruby gown as her smoldering black eyes seemed to caress every face in the crowd.

"Tonight we celebrate the birth of a kingdom," the woman said, "but it is more than that. It is also a celebration of our joint ideals. Shared concepts of beauty and learning. Ideas that have culminated into this one night. We stand here at the apex of a wonderous age. An age of peace and prosperity to all. We are more than a mere kingdom. We are the diverse systems and planets that add their many songs into this ultimate symphony of music. Tonight is an affirmation of that music. It is a celebration of us all."

Cheers and applause rose like a slowly building tidal wave until it crashed against the podium with its intensity. A small smile graced the beautiful woman's features and she held up her hands, waiting for the applause to die down.

"Here on Lunar Prime, we also have another reason to celebrate. Tonight marks the fifteenth anniversary of the birth of our crown princess. For that, we have prepared something special."

The woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes as soft music began to sound from the gathered musicians. Then she began to sing.

Her voice painted a vivid picture in the hearts and minds of those who listened. It sang of a beautiful young girl, precious and loved, who lived in a vast world of towering crystal spires and beautiful moonstone buildings. A clumsy girl with a gentle, compassionate spirit and a warm heart. It told of her birth, of shadowy events that threatened her but were thwarted by her mighty mother. A girl who would gaze out of her bedroom window in wonder at the glowing blue world that dominated her sky. Of her love for the simple things, like food, or playing. Most importantly, it sang of her unconditional love for those who surrounded her, and of their love for her. It was that love that the voice focused the most on, building to a crescendo before it trailed off, leaving afterimages of its splendor behind.

The applause that followed was deafening.

On the Royal dais, Serena was mercilessly rubbing her eyes with the hankerchief Anya had handed her. She had failed at keeping her cheeks dry in front of her mother.

"Oh Bell," Serena whispered as more tears escaped her ministrations.

* * *

The Senshi of Mars gracefully ascended the Royal dais to take her place by the princess. Behind her, the music from the orchestra had resumed and now many people had stepped out onto the silver and crystal tiled dance floor to waltz the evening away.

Bellona was half-way up the short stairs when Serena exploded forward from her silver chair and buried her face into Bellona's bosom.

"I'm so sorry, Bell!" Serena sobbed, "I'm so sorry!"

Bellona's face softened and she smiled as she wrapped her arms around the crying princess.

"It's ok, Serena," Bellona said as she guided the distressed girl back to her silver chair, "I was never mad at you. Now do sit back down, you're making a scene."

Indeed, several of the dancing couples had paused before the Royal dais to stare at the overly emotional outburst. A cold glare from the Moon Seneschal sent them quickly scurrying away.

"Always making the grand entrance, huh Bell?" Ceres whispered to the Mars princess as she assumed her place.

"Someone has to," Bellona replied.

"That was very beautiful, Bellona," Queen Serenity remarked. Bellona blushed hotly before tipping her head down towards the Queen.

"Thank you, Majesty. I wanted to perform something special for Serena's birthday."

"I'd say you've outdone yourself," Yumiko said, "which would explain why I haven't seen you at any morning drills for the past three days."

Bellona's mouth went dry as she stared at the Moon Seneschal.

Ah hell. Well, it wasn't like she didn't expect to pay the price. In this case, the price probably meant a week of 'back-to-basics' training as Yumiko would call it. Although the Mars Senshi figured that this had less to do with missing drills and more to do with leaving Serena upset for three days.

"Bright and early," Yumiko continued, "I'll expect you in the training hall." She glanced at Ceres and Hera who were trying to hide their smirks, and then at Anya who was straight-faced. "You three as well. It's time to go back to basics."

Anya sighed as Ceres' and Hera's faces fell. It was to be expected. The Moon Seneschal didn't believe in exclusively punishing only the guilty party in their group.

Selene regarded the interaction with some amusement. In a lot of ways, Yumiko was like a den mother to all the Sailor Senshi. She refused to let them become complacent, and she constantly drilled them. This was why the two remaining Outer Guardians and the four Inner Guardians were considered the strongest and most respected Sailor Senshi this side of the galaxy. At the same time, Selene could sense the buried anxiety in the Moon Seneschal whenever any of the Senshi were deployed anywhere, just as she could sense the feeling of pride and love coming off Yumiko now.

A feeling of mild nervousness and underlining determination suddenly assailed the Moon Queen's senses. She turned to gaze down at the young man who had appeared at the base of the dais. Endymion.

"Your Majesty," Endymion began. His grey eyes flitted towards the crown princess who had fallen silent and was now staring at him.

"Was there something you required, Lord Prince?" Artemis asked, stepping forward.

"I seek permission from the Queen to ask the Princess Serena to dance with me."

Serena's face grew hot as the blood rushed to her cheeks. She quickly glanced at her mother, her earlier distress forgotten.

_Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes.  
_  
Bellona leaned towards Ceres and whispered.

"Who's this fellow?"

"I have no idea," Ceres replied with a light shrug.

"That is Prince Endymion of Elysion," Yumiko said in a soft voice. The four Senshi looked at the Moon Seneschal as the woman frowned slightly. Across the ballroom at one of the tables set for guest Royalty, a similar expression echoed on the face of Kunzite.

"We see no problem with asking," the Queen answered. She met Serena's pleading gaze with her own amused eyes. "But we make no guarantees on the answer."

Endymion made a polite leg and held out his hand.

"Would you care to dance, Princess Serena?"

Serena stood up. "I would love to dance!"

Bellona leaned forward and whispered into the Princess's ear.

"Remember, Serena, let him lead and try not to step on his feet!"

Serena turned and gave Bellona the beautiful smile that the Mars Princess loved.

"Thank you, Bell! I'll try to remember!"

Then she hurried down the steps and placed her hand into Endymion's. The prince led her out to the dance floor.

The music seemed to buoy Serena's spirits and she felt as if she were flying as she spun around the dance floor with that handsome young man. She was sure that this was what heaven felt like. Her heart seemed to beat a thousand times a minute and her face couldn't seem to burn much hotter. This man... there was something about his eyes that made her feel warm and safe.

"I'm sorry, sir," Serena began as they moved, "But I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

The young man grinned and his stormy grey eyes bore down into Serena's very soul.

"Endymion," he said, "of Elysion."

Endymion. Serena thought. The name seemed to roll off the tongue. What a wonderful name.

Then Serena's old friend, causality, finally caught up to her. Endymion winced as Serena's foot landed on his own. Then it happened again.

"I'm sorry!" Serena said almost frantically, "I didn't mean to do that!"

She stepped on his foot again and he suddenly stopped their dance.

_Oh please..._ Serena silently pleaded, _please don't end it now.  
_  
Endymion smiled gently down at her. "Watch my feet, Princess," he said, "this is called the 'box-step'." He carefully guided her through the steps and showed her how to keep up. Pretty soon, they were flying again.

* * *

"Seeing how you are a freshman councilor," the Jupiter councilman was saying, "you probably want to establish yourself by allying with one of the senior members. Like myself, for example." He paused for a moment. "Perhaps we should continue to discuss this in my apartments."

Beryl simply smiled slightly while being careful to maintain her expression of rapt attention. She knew the Councilor really didn't care what her political stance was. or who she sided with. Nobody on the Great Council took Earth seriously, so there was no reason to expect them to take Earth's Council member any other way. This buffoon was really just trying to pick her up.

"I've studied your views, in light of the bills you've introduced before the Council in the past, Councilor. I also know about the current Intergalatic Agricultural Exchange bill that you've recently presented. I believe that's the one that would drastically undercut current food exports from Earth in favor of flora and fauna transplants to other Earth-class worlds, correct?"

The Councilor's mouth dropped open in surprise. Beryl went on.

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes'. Regardless, you probably already know that you won't have Earth's vote. Also, I've already filed for establishing a Council subcomittee to fully examine the merits of your bill. I believe the Queen has final say on that."

The Councilman of Jupiter's face hardened. He leaned forward into Beryl's face.

"You play a dangerous game, little girl," he hissed, "Don't expect a lengthy career in politics when making enemies like me!"

Beryl merely smiled, her golden eyes almost sparkling.

"Indeed, Councilor," she said calmly, "However, I intend to have a LONG career."

The older man glared at her for a moment longer, then turned and stormed away. Immediately his clique of younger Council members clustered around him. Beryl watched him go.

_This is going to be very interesting._ She mused. She turned to watch the spinning dancers as they rotated around the great ballroom.

_Ah, Endymion, my young prince. I will prove myself on this battlefield. Then perhaps_ _in a few years you will really see me.  
_  
Beryl blinked twice as she watched the Prince swing by, another woman in his arms. A woman with long golden hair in matching tails that seemed to circle around them as they moved. The two were laughing. Their eyes were locked on each other, and they wore matching expressions.

Joy.

Beryl watched them as they disappeared back into the crowd, her previous little victory forgotten. A sliver of darknes formed in her heart.

* * *

**FREE...**

The dark entity had forced its way from the grip of the sun's gravity with a silent roar. The heat slowly cooled from its misty form.

**I AM FREE...  
**  
Memories of a distant battle floated through the consciousness of the dark entity. Powerful warriors. Senshi.

**I WAS SEALED... BUT I'VE BROKEN FREE...  
**  
A silver crystal, shaped like a blooming lotus. Blinding white light.

**NEED ENERGY... WEAK...**

It sent its thoughts to walk the distant worlds that surrounded the bright star of its former prison. Life existed around many of those worlds. But only one world had it in abundance. The third planet closest to the sun seemed to glow with an aura of life that dwarfed its fellow planets.

Then something else caught its attention.

The oversized satellite that orbited the third planet. It too gleamed brightly with life. Not abundant life, but STRONG life forces. Familiar auras. Fury began to build in the darkness that coelesced in the entity's center.  
Sailor Senshi. The warriors that imprisoned the entity so long ago. The auras were slightly different, but undeniably theirs. And one aura shone the brightest, like a miniature sun on the surface of that moon.

It needed to feed. Feed first on the lifeforces that inhabited the third planet. Then it would plan its revenge. Vengeance on the familiar auras it felt on the third planet's satellite. Its anger fueled the fire in its blackened soul. Soon only one thought dominated the entity's mind:

**!!I REMEMBER YOU, BEARER OF THE SILVER CRYSTAL!!**

In the empty darkness of space, moving on the power of its rage alone, an entity once known as Metallia began its long trek to the third planet.


	8. Interlude: The Power of a Queen

_Once again I apologize for taking so much time to update. Things have been hectic and I've been pushing hard to try to develop my ideas better whenever I get the chance. I wanted to post this chapter up to give a little more history to Selene. If it seems a little rough, it's because it is. My only proofreader is myself. I hope that everyone still finds this chapter to be interesting. _

_Anyways, standard disclaimers apply: I don't own anything to do with Sailor Moon or its associated properties. However Yumiko belongs to me._

_--MeatLips_

* * *

**Interlude of the Past: The Power of a Queen**

* * *

**Lunar Prime, 7001 FLP (Founding of Lunar Prime), 1st year of Queen Serenity XV, 20223 BCE**

* * *

The Great Council Chamber was a sight to behold. Grand walls that were hewed from the purest moon crystal surrounding a finely polished marble floor. Great crystal chandeliers hung from the high vaulted ceilings and reflected their light from the golden mirrors that hung nearby. It was a vast and cavernous chamber. Dominating one side was a raised dais where a great oaken chair rose high. Next to it were several smaller chairs. Curving around the chamber itself was large, multi-tiered seating for the associated council members. Everything was made from the finest Earth oakwood and overlaid with shining gold leaf. Behind the raised dais was a crystal relief of a massive spire that was topped with the symbol of Lunar Prime. A golden crescent moon.

Selene long remembered her mother telling her about the rendered spire. It was supposed to represent the Holy Crystal Tower residing in the Prayer Room of the Moon Palace. The pillar of translucent crystal that housed the soul of Lunar Prime itself. Also sharing the Prayer Room was the Sword of the Silver Crystal which was embedded in the stone of the chamber floor by an ancient warrior. A Sailor Senshi. In a way, Selene wished she was carrying that legendary stone sword with her into the Council Chamber. The elegant hall was nothing short of a battlefield.

A political battlefield.

The Great Council consisted of the planetary members of the Sol System. Each planet was considered a sovereign kingdom that owed allegience to the Royalty of Lunar Prime. It seemed simple enough in concept. At least in the beginning. At present the council was swollen to a hundred members.

When the Council was formed by Queen Serenity the First seven thousand years before, it consisted of only eight members. The planetary governments were still young and forming after the migration from other systems had begun to trickle off. However, as each world slowly expanded across their livable surfaces, of which in some cases were quite few, the first of the Great Districts were established.

Not every planet had its own royalty. Some worlds were governed by elected bodies, like Mercury and distant Pluto. Others established their own royal hierarchy. How each world was ruled was irrelevant. The one thing every world had total agreement was the demand for representation based on population. It was by population count alone that determined the number of Planetary Districts each world had. And each District had its own representative on the Council. This often caused an imbalance on the Council itself. Currently the planet with the most influence was Jupiter, boasting the largest population with thirty-three Districts and thus thirty-three representatives. Lunar Prime had only one District, and only one member of the Great Council. That was the Queen herself.

The end result was no planet had singular representation, except for Lunar Prime. In fact, the only planet that had zero representation was Earth. Earth also contained a single Planetary District, and that consisted of its great City State, Elysion. In a rare agreement between the majority of the other Planetary Districts, Earth was denied their council representation. The center for all native life in Sol System was denied a seat on the Great Council. That had rankled Selene's mother to no end.

It had been six months since Selene had ascended the Crystal Throne. In that time, the Great Council had taken it upon itself to usurp as much of the Queen's power as possible. They had taken advantage of the fact that Selene was only fourteen standard years old. Newer laws had been passed without consulting the Crystal Throne. New regulations. Council meetings were called without Selene's knowledge. Since any group gathering of the Council members can be considered official, provided two thirds of the council were present and it was occurring during the official session, it was fast becoming old hat to gather off-world. Without the queen. Many times Selene had rushed to the Council Chamber to discover it empty, to her chagrin. They were shutting her out.

It seemed that the shake-up of having a number of Council members arrested when Selene was crowned hadn't set well with the old men. They hated her. Despised her. They had supported Mars because he had promised them wealth. Prosperity. An experienced MAN to sit at the helm. To them she was simply a young child who never earned her position as a Councilor or as a Queen. Selene could almost hear the calls to abolish the Crown in favor of their 'democratic' council. Never mind the notion that each of them were multiple term electees who wouldn't likely give up their seats to any new blood. Selene found it immensely frustrating. After all those months of getting nowhere, Selene had even begun to question her own place. Why did she have to be in such a position?? She agreed with the Council insofar as she wasn't even a full adult yet. The crown that was supposed to weigh heavily upon her head felt insignificant. So she immersed herself in the Great Library of Lunar Prime. She told herself that she was researching. Learning the art of proper governance, but she knew she really was hiding. Even Yumiko could see it.

"If you let these bureaucrats walk all over you," Yumiko had warned, "then they will constantly do so for the duration of your reign."

"Then let them!" Selene shrieked. She spun around and stretched out her palm. The Silver Crystal flew from its pedestal to gently hover over her outstretched hand as she slowly drew it closer to herself, almost hugging it tightly to her chest. "I'm just not ready for this, Yumi. They stand in my way on every turn. Those thrice damned old men!"

Yumiko placed her hands on the young queen's shoulders and turned the girl around to face her.

"I can't pretend to understand what being a queen is like," Yumiko said, "but I've been in positions of leadership. Fools like those in the Great Council respect power. So show them yours."

With a sigh, Selene let Yumiko's hands fall from her shoulder as she turned and sent the Crystal back to its pedestal.

"I never expected to become queen so soon, Yumi. Even Mother was a full century old when she ascended the Crystal Throne. She had time to experience life. When do I get to do that? I just wanted to grow up and be happy." Selene cocked her head as she looked at the Moon Seneschal, a slight gleam in her deep blue eyes. "Why don't we run away together?"

Yumiko arched an elegant eyebrow at that. It was the closest that Selene had ever seen the other woman look surprised.

"Come again?"

"I'm serious!" Selene felt excitement course through her veins. A feeling of adventure! "I could abdicate the throne! Those bastards on the Council are already shutting me out, so what difference would it make if we just left?"

The disapproval came off the Moon Seneschal in waves. It was a rare thing for Yumiko to allow Selene to sense her mood. It drained the excitement from Selene's body like air from a balloon.

"Don't be silly. It's unbecoming of you."

"Why not?" Selene asked, wishing she didn't sound so petulant.

Yumiko frowned and crossed her arms. "Selene, it's one thing to want to go out amongst the people. To understand what they want out of their Queen. But to run away from your responsibilities is wrong."

"But..."

"No Selene," Yumiko cut her off, "You are Queen Serenity the Fifteenth. This is an unalterable fact and it is your burden to bear. The people of this solar system would never want to believe that their Queen abandoned them."

Selene resisted the urge to cry in frustration. She made her way back to her large bed and sat at the edge. She clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth.

"Fine. Leave me alone then. I wasn't serious anyways."

Yumiko slowly approached the bed, her face empty of all emotions. "Selene, whatever you decide to do, I will be there to support you. But I believe you have it in you to be a great ruler. You've proven that many times in the past. Don't throw away your mother's legacy."

"Those were different times. It was just the two of us together then, Yumi."

Yumiko knelt down and looked up into Selene's face.

"It's no different now," Yumiko paused for a moment, her gaze penetrating Selene's eyes. "Selene, what is the first responsibility of a Sailor Senshi?"

Selene glared back at the Moon Seneschal from beneath her elegant brows. "I am NOT a Senshi, Yumiko! The Senshi have been dead for thousands of years!"

Yumiko shook her head. "That's not the point. You still learned the Senshi Code of Honor. It is no different from what a true Queen must do to be a proper leader. Now, what is the first responsibility?"

Selene closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

"Serve and protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"And who are those that the Queen protects?"

"The people of this kingdom."

"As long as you remember that, everything else will fall into place for you."

Selene turned away, "It's so easy for you to say," she muttered, "you're not the one on the hotseat."

"You're right," Yumiko agreed, "I'm not the one responsible for an entire kingdom. That would be you."

Yumiko stood up and made her way to the large ornate bedroom door. She paused with her hand on the doorhandle.

"I believe in you, Selene. The people will believe in you too."

This time Selene could feel the warmth emanating from the Moon Seneschal. A fierce and proud love.

The last sign of Yumiko's passage from the room was the large door softly clicking closed. Selene opened her eyes and stared at the door for a moment. Then she turned to look at the computer terminal on her desk, feeling unworthy of Yumiko's emotions.

_I am not fit to wear this crown._

She moved to her desk and sat down, activating her terminal. The holographic interface scrolled up into a default window and a pleasant female voice spoke aloud.

**Bio-identification verified. Good morning Selene. How may I assist you today?**

"Give me all current political and social commentary and review articles cross-referenced as it pertains to the Crystal Throne and the Great Council for the last six months."

Selene paused for a moment, thinking, then continued.

"Appended request: Reference all Council resolutions with associated members and their individual assets into a compiled database format beginning from when I first took the throne. Oh, and get me my email while you're at it."

**Processing requests. Current number of articles found: two hundred ninety three. Resolutions cross-referenced with individual assets: one thousand ninety-eight. One hundred and four messages in your Inbox.**

Selene wondered if the answer she sought was buried somewhere in that data. The unasked question burned in her mind.

_What am I protecting the people from?  
_  
The Council and its members had to have reasons for shutting her out. It wasn't merely a grab for power. Bloated governing bodies like that would always seek to protect their interests first, and if she read the Council's makeup like a heat map, the ones with the strongest interests would show up as the ones with the most exercised influence. Selene simply needed to discover those interests. They had to be almost right in front of her face.

While she waited for her email to scroll up, Selene let her eyes wander over to her large table where some books lay stacked next to the remnants of her dinner. She stared curiously at the dinner tray.

_When was the last time I had bread with my meal?_

It occurred to Selene that she couldn't honestly remember. Shaking her head, she turned back to her terminal.

Between her email and compiled databases, what Selene read made her eyes widen. It was early morning when Selene finally understood.

She had her answer.

Now, a month later, Selene stood in front of the large gilded doors of the Great Council Chamber. Her heart was beating rapidly as she waited for the Steward to announce her presence.

_I'm going into battle now, Mother._

The long Royal scepter was clenched in Selene's hand. On its top, the Silver Crystal itself glowed with a faint light, almost encouraging the young monarch. She nodded to the two Lunar Guard that stood at the chamber doors. They opened the way to Selene's first battle.

* * *

Metis DeShaan of District Oxaan of Jupiter, glared down his long nose at the young girl in Queenly attire as she made her way across the Council chamber floor. His fellow Jupiter delegates were well aware of his intense dislike for the young Queen. He found it difficult to view her as anything more than a little child playing dress-up in her mommy's clothes.

No experience. No history. It didn't matter how well educated she was, she hadn't EARNED her position. Never WORKED for it. It was just handed to her on a silver platter.

Mars would have been much better suited to be King than this fool child. Or even better, electing a fellow Councilor to Prime Minister and pushing the Royal brat to the position of a figurehead. Metis allowed himself a small smile as he imagined taking an office like that.

Minister DeShaan. It had a nice ring to it. He already had a bill drafted, he just needed to present it. It wasn't the first time that such a notion had been entertained by the Great Council. Especially over the last few thousand years. Each time it come to vote, the ruling Queen Serenity had quashed it. Perhaps today it was time to present it again.

"Gentlemen," The Council Steward said, lightly tapping his crystal gavel upon his wooden podium, "Let us now come to order. Since her Majesty, Queen Serenity the Fifteenth has called this session, the Floor will go to her first." He nodded towards Selene. "Your Majesty."

Selene took a deep breath as she moved towards the center of the chamber. Then she looked around at the many pairs of eyes that were staring at her. More than a few contained ill-concealed hostility.

"Gentlemen of the Council," Selene began, "You must all be aware of the current shortages that have been affecting this system." She reached out and touched the holographic console before the podium, causing a large holographic image of several graphs and pie-charts to suddenly appear in the center of the chamber.

"As you can see, from the beginning of this year, wheat and grain output has nearly tripled on Earth, but intersystem exports have dropped noticably." she waved her hand and another chart appeared. "Reports of piracy from the Sol System Shipping Guild have grown in number significantly as well, but even those losses don't account for the surplus of product that should have still been available. Meanwhile prices have steadily gone up."

A large rumbling slowly grew from the gathered Councilors before one of them stood up to address the Floor. Selene recognized him as Trax Dagon from District Eleven on Mercury.

"Your Highness," Trax said, his eyes were a little wider than normal, "Are you sure that those output reports from Earth aren't a little exaggerated?"

"Councilor Dagon," Selene replied, raising one eyebrow, "What makes you ask that?"

Dagon wrung his hands and glanced around at the other Councilors in the chamber.

"Well, that would mean that the reports that were filed by the Earth & Grain Federation were false."

This was followed by angry mutterings from the other council members that slowly began to swell louder.

"Order, gentlemen!" The Steward cried, banging his gavel, "Order please! The Queen has the Floor!"

The voices slowly died down.

Selene nodded before speaking again. "You would be correct to assume that, Councilor Dagon," she remarked. She pointed her scepter towards the holodisplay. "These reports were filed by the Elysion Ministry of Agriculture. Strangely enough, they disappeared from the Central Data Repository almost immediately after they had been filed. I, however, was able to obtain them directly from the Ministry itself."

Metis finally had enough. He stood up and cleared his throat, causing all attention to be focused upon his person. He gazed down his nose at the young Queen.

"Young lady, this kingdom has disseminated information using the reports of the EGF for almost three thousand years. The information filed by the Elysion Ministry has always been Earth-centric and has never taken into account distribution and consumption on a system-wide scale. That is why we chartered the EGF in the first place."

Sounds of agreement began to float around Metis as he cocked his head and adopted an almost fatherly expression.

"Don't you think you've wasted enough of our time, my dear?"

Selene stared back at Metis, her face blank as sounds of agreement began to rise. A loud bang from her scepter to the floor shocked everyone's attention back to the young Queen.

"Actually, Councilor," Selene replied smoothly, "I haven't even begun yet. As of three weeks ago I issued an Executive Order calling for a complete investigation into the EGF's practices."

The chamber quickly filled with outraged cries.

"You can't do that!"

"...outrageous!"

"How dare she!"

Selene banged her scepter again. This time the Silver Crystal atop it flashed brilliantly, briefly bathing the Council Chamber in white light.

Silence followed.

"As per Council Law," Selene continued calmly, "I have informed you of this Order within the required four week time period. Now this Council has the option of invalidating my investigation by two-thirds vote, at which point I assure you gentlemen," Selene's eyes flashed dangerously, "I will ignore your decision."

Metis shakily leaned forward on his wooden desk. Anger clouded his mind as he glared at the young monarch.

"You have a lot of nerve," Metis sneered, "thinking that a mere child like you could actually dictate matters to the Great Council! Ignore our vote?? Preposterous!!"

Selene's sapphire eyes were like cold blue ice as she focused on the Councilor. The rest of the chamber quickly filled with the mutterings of the other council members.

"Councilor Metis," Selene began, "being as well versed in the laws set forth by Queen Serenity the First as you are, you should be aware that as long as I sit upon the Crystal Throne I am recognized as Queen of this system as well as sovereign ruler of Lunar Prime. And as Queen, I can, at any point I choose, issue Executive Order Twenty-One and completely dissolve this Council."

The Great Chamber fell silent again as the various council members stared at the young queen in surprise. Many Council members were quickly reevaluating their young Queen.

_Didn't think I read the lawbooks, did you?_ Selene silently smirked to herself.

"Little girl," Metis replied slowly, "Surely you realize that if you issued that order, you would lose ninety percent of planetary support in this system!"

"Indeed," the young Queen said calmly, "but then again since I have ascended this throne, I haven't noticed any support to begin with. At least not from any of the Planetary Districts."

The combined voices of the many councilors in attendance rose into a cacophony of outrage and protests.

"Gentlemen!" The Council Steward cried, banging his crystal gavel down upon the podium again, "Gentlemen please! Please! We must have order! Her Majesty still has the Floor!"

The voices slowly began to die down as Selene glared out at the council chamber.

"Thank you, Steward," she said. She returned her arctic gaze to Councilor Metis. "Now that we've established the obvious deficiencies in my regime, let us return to the matter at hand. The EGF has been operating for three thousand years without any sort of oversight or internal audits on record. It was supposed to be a conglomeration of independent agricultural organizations."

"Now see here, child...!" Metis began angrily.

"Councilor Metis," Selene said with deadly calm, cutting off the sputtering Councilor. Her eyes glittered. "While I understand that my current age fails to match up to my current position, at least in your eyes, it does NOT change the fact that I am QUEEN Serenity the Fifteenth, and as such I am owed the appropriate RESPECT due to a ruling monarch."

Selene's eyes narrowed as she stared at Metis. Her meaning was crystal clear.

_Continue to patronize me at your own peril, old man._

Metis's mouth snapped shut in surprise. That was no mere child staring him down.

That was a Queen.

"Proper government, gentlemen, is a system of checks and balances," Selene said, turning away from the Jupiter Councilor, "The Great Council is supposed to balance against the power of the Crystal Throne. YOU are SUPPOSED to be representing the people of this kingdom with proper oversight of kingdom charters just being one of your responsibilities!"

"Now wait a minute...!" Another Councilor said loudly, getting to his feet. Selene recognized him as Tethys Meritas of District Amarine on Uranus.

"The Queen has the Floor." The voice caused a hundred heads to turn almost as one. In the back sat one of the senior representatives. Councilor Primus Nix of District One on Pluto. As one of the oldest council members, Nix commanded a great deal of respect. Usually he remained quiet, but as many of the other senior councilors remembered, whenever Nix did speak, it was often wise to listen.

"Councilor Nix," Metis said, holding his hands up, "Surely we don't have to listen to this young..." he swallowed quietly, quickly glancing at Selene. "...Queen's fanciful meanderings or her petulant orders. We have been involved in governing this system for far longer than she has been alive!"

"The Queen has exercised her right in calling this Council session. And she has done an excellent job in shaking up this Council. I for one would like to hear the rest of what Her Majesty has to say," Nix replied. His hard crimson eyes flared down at Metis causing the Jupiter councilor to finally nod. Nix turned to Selene. "Please continue, Highness."

Selene took another deep breath before continuing.

"Earth has been denied representation on this Council. Doesn't anyone really wonder why?"

Numerous derogatory Earth remarks fluttered through the chamber. Selene held up her hand.

"Despite their Ministry's reports of triple output, there still have been shortages on Earth as well as many associated Districts that are represented here." Selene looked around, having gained greater attention from the council members. "As we know, Earth is the primary source of both wheat and grain exports in this solar system. This makes farm property on Earth incredibly valuable. Now given that information, can anyone here tell me why EARTH of all places would be affected by shortages?"

The councilors looked at each other. Metis and Tethys looked mildly uneasy while their fellow planetary representatives muttered amongst themselves.

"I shall tell you why," Selene continued, her eyes glinting, "As it turns out, there are more than a few neighboring star systems that currently regard Earth food exports, particularly grain and wheat, to be quite the delicacy. Now this esteemed Council drafted, voted on, and passed into a law that was signed by Queen Serenity the Fourteenth, Article One Hundred and Twenty-Four which explicitly states: 'When in times of shortage, domestic food products shall not be sold or exported out of system. This includes but is not limited to, meat, grain, wheat, etc.'"

"And there have been no exports!" Metis shouted, his face purple with fury. He leveled a long finger at Selene. "Where are you going with this??"

"Since Earth has no seated Councilors here," Selene replied, ignoring the Councilor's outburst, "then there is nobody protecting Earth interests. We've already established that there is no oversight in the EGF, in our COUNCIL CHARTERED FEDERATION. Therefore if some of the controlling entities in the EGF decided to purchase some of that civilian controlled property Earthside, ie FARMLAND, then not even the Elysion Ministry of Agriculture could stop the passing of that legal deed, since the EGF is the governing body for intersystem food distribution. Isn't that so, Councilor Metis?"

Metis growled, narrowing his eyes. "Regardless of who owns the land, the product is still not being shipped out of system!"

"Not legally, of course."

"What are you implying??"

Selene leveled her stare at Metis. "I'm implying that someone has attempted to corner the market on Earth exports. The reported piracy has also done wonders for wheat and grain prices."

"Your point?" Tethys said haughtily.

"Council members," Selene said, "This kingdom maintains one of the finest interplanetary and intergalactic fleets in this part of the galaxy. The idea that there are 'pirates' raiding our local shipping lanes is simply ludicrous and to my friends in the Shipping Guild, plainly insulting. No mere local pirates could assault a Guildliner. In fact, the Guild almost never reports any pirate attacks since they have more than sufficient ability to drive the local pirates off. However the Guild has lost a total of four ships this past year. Four ships that were carrying, of all things, wheat and grain. And imagine that, this Council has refused to authorize any investigation into those Guild reports."

The wash of voices in the council chamber rose as the various members began to argue. Selene hammered the bottom of the Moon Scepter loudly against the floor, the Silver Crystal flaring brightly again in response.

"I am NOT finished."

The chamber fell quiet.

Selene nodded as she glanced around. Then she continued.

"The preliminary findings of my ordered investigation have pointed to two people in this chamber. Two people who stand to benefit from these price hikes. They are Councilmen Tethys Meritas of D-Amarine-Uranus and Metis DeShaan of D-Oxaan-Jupiter."

Metis and Tethys both jumped to their feet.

"This is an OUTRAGE!" Metis boomed.

"No," Selene said in a cold voice, "What IS an outrage is that three quarters of all commercially viable farmland on Earth is controlled by two interplanetary corporations under the name of the EGF. Corporations that both you and Councilor Tethys own controlling interest in."

Selene held up a finger to tick off her points. "You purchased land rights to Earth farmland, spreading the ownership through your corporate subsidiaries, putting it under a smokescreen of the Earth & Grain Federation to hide it while you exerted your combined influences on this Council to make your actions perfectly legal. With your efforts this last seven months, you've almost completely legalized turning a Council chartered federation into a corporate interplanetary monopoly. All this without any Council oversight. I'm honestly surprised that the other members here failed to see the pattern."

The Council chamber fell quiet as various Councilmen turned to peer at Tethys and Metis. Surprise and realization was sinking into the Great Council.

Selene, however, was on a roll. "As if complete control of the wheat and grain market wasn't enough, you've been orchestrating the so-called 'piracy' in order to justify driving up the prices. Since many people in this system depend upon those exports in order to live, work and eat, they have had no choice but to pay your artificially inflated prices, and those that can't, including Earth, have been left to starve. Your 'stolen' wheat and grain has simply been shipped illegally out of system along with all the generated surplus. Surplus that was generated by ordering production to be tripled on all EGF 'property'. Seems like you've built yourselves a nice fat three-way profit margin, Councilmen. Oh wait, we can't forget the insurance claims bled from the Shipping Guild, can we?"

Metis sneered. "Where is your proof?"

Selene tapped her scepter twice against the floor. The great gilded doors of the Council Chamber opened and the Seneschal of the Moon walked in. Behind her where two Royal Marines with a ragged looking man between them. The mere presence of the Moon Seneschal was enough to drop the Council Chamber into dead silence.

Yumiko held up a wafer-sized data crystal. "Contained in this crystal is a complete record of the apprehension of one named Kelso DeShaan. It also contains a full data dump from the pirate vessel Notorious." She nodded towards Selene. "With your leave, Majesty."

* * *

**18 Hours Earlier:**

Captain Yavid Rourke of the Guildliner Gladius arched an eyebrow at the vessels that currently surrounded his ship.

"You have fifteen minutes to comply with our demands. Otherwise we will destroy your vessels."

Rourke shrugged. He glanced at his anxious pilot.

"Do what they say."

The pilot looked nervously at his control panel.

"Captain," he asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Rourke scratched his head, then chuckled.

"Not at all," Rourke replied, "but I have complete faith in that woman's abilities." He scowled. "Besides, we've already lost four vessels to those bastards. I hope they get what's coming to them."

The pilot sighed, then touched several buttons on his holographic display. "Alright, purging primary cargo hold."

From the belly of the Gladius, two mighty bay doors silently rolled open. The explosive release of oxygen from the hold propelled the contents out into space.

The four ships surrounding the Gladius were silent for a moment.

"Captain," the pilot said anxiously, "They're powering up weapons."

Rourke nodded. "As expected. Get us out of here."

The pilot's nimble fingers flew over the holographic interface and the stars on the main display suddenly stretched into white lines as the ship emergency warped away just as the disruptive beams converged on its former location.

* * *

Roald Abner calmly waited with the rest of the deck men for the cargo hold to re-pressurize before going out to inspect the latest acquisitions. Having only served on this vessel for a few months, he was still surprised at just how green the young crew were. Their captain was the worst of the bunch. Hell, what he named the ship was enough to annoy any experienced spacer.

The Notorious.

Roald hated that name.

He strode among the shipping containers with the rest of the cargo workers. With any luck he would have a manifest created before the annoying--

"Mister Roald, what do we have today?" Roald's commlink suddenly chirped.

Roald sighed before thumbing his throat comm.

"I'm still inspecting the cargo, Captain, I'll need an hour at least before I can give you a full manifest."

"Well then... Carry on!" the commlink signed off.

Roald shook his head in irritation. He turned around to yell an order to one of the cargo hands when he realised something strange.

The hold was silent.

_What the... where the hell is everyone?_

Roald was sure that he entered the hold with at least ten other men. However now, other than the always-present thrum of the ships engines, the cargo hold was as silent as a tomb. He started to reach for his commlink when noticed that it too was also now missing.

"Excuse me," a soft contralto suddenly interrupted Roald's initial panic. He spun around to find himself facing a pretty young woman dressed in black. The woman's brown hair was braided and framed her slightly oval face while her deep brown eyes shone with a coldness that made Roald's bowels feel like they were turning to water.

"Who... wha??" Roald exclaimed.

The woman cocked her head slightly, regarding him with an icy look before speaking again.

"Before I incapacitate you and stack your body with the rest of the crew members, I wanted you to tell me who the captain of this vessel is."

* * *

Kelso DeShaan drummed his fingers on his armrest. The other bridgemembers ignored the noise and continued to go about their business. Kelso didn't care. It didn't bother him that most of the ships crew didn't like him. They didn't have to like him. They just had to do what he told them to do.

He groaned and stretched his back before slumping down in his chair. He hated waiting. Every time they raided a Guildliner, it was always exciting to see how much stuff they managed to get. Granted, destroying the last four liners after they dumped cargo was not what his father wanted him to do, but he felt it was necessary to cement his image.

_I am a pirate. This is a pirate vessel._

Kelso glanced at the portside viewscreen to the three robotic drone vessels that accompanied his ship.

_They are pirate vessels too. _

_Pirates sink ships. That's just what we do._

Inside, Kelso wanted to cackle with glee. There hadn't been a truly scary pirate since the end of the Black Angel's reign of terror eight years before. But there was a market for their cargo. A BIG market. Earth grain was really popular out-system. It made Kelso feel especially... _piratey_... whenever he met with one of those interstellar vessels. He even had his own nickname all picked out for when he took this enterprise to interstellar heights. The Black Devil, scourge of the galaxy.

_When I build up my own armada, I'll raid whole planets!_

The holographic commlink buzzed, distracting Kelso from his fantasy. He hit the button. The harsh-lined face of Roald Abner appeared before him.

"Ah, Mister Roald! Do you have my manifest ready?"

"Yes captain. Permission to enter the bridge?"

Kelso nodded towards the pilot who unlocked the bridgelift. "Permission granted Mister Roald. As you can see, a little politeness goes a long way."

The bridge doors hissed open and Kelso spun his command chair to look at his chief cargo officer.

"So what do you have for me Mister Roald?" Kelso said in a cheery voice.

Roald raised a pair of stun pistols and he strode forward systematically knocking out every member of the bridge crew with accurately placed shots. Kelso stared around at the quasi-carnage as crewmembers slumped over their consoles. He tried to stand up and run when he felt the toe of Roald's boot touch his forehead with the force of a heavy club, propelling him back into his seat. Roald held the barrel of one of the stun pistols under Kelso's chin. Kelso raised terrified eyes up to Roald's face. Then he felt his bladder let go.

Roald glanced down at the puddle of urine that was forming under the captain's chair. Then he removed what looked like an ornate pen from his top pocket. Kelso's eyes widened as his former cargo officer suddenly grew shorter, thinner, and a hell of a lot more feminine. The woman focused hard and cold brown eyes onto Kelso's face.

"Captain DeShaan, I presume."

Kelso's eyes widened even further in shock as his brained finally processed the identity of this woman.

_The Black Angel!! It's the Black Angel!! What is she doing here?? Did she start up her career again??_

Kelso opened his mouth to answer but all that came out was an expulsion of air that sounded suspiciously like a whine.

"You are hearby placed under arrest for the charge of piracy against the kingdom," the Black Angel continued, "Your vessels will be impounded and all personal assets seized. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Kelso blinked in surprise. Then he took a deep breath.

"Do you have any idea who my father is??" he finally managed to exclaim.

* * *

**Present:**

Yumiko calmly removed the data crystal from the holographic emitter. There was dead silence in the council chamber as she walked over to the ragged man that sat pitifully on the polished stone floor. The man started sobbing loudly.

"Kelso," Yumiko said in a harsh voice, "Please tell the Council what you told me."

"My father told me to do it," Kelso whimpered, "He outfitted the Notorious with disruptor cannons and ordered the drones from out-system. I was s-s-supposed to raid the Shipping Guild for Earth grain and wheat... b-b-but I got carried away!"

"LIES!!" Metis boomed. His face had flushed a deep crimson and he hammered his fist against the wooden desk before him. "This is a completely fabricated sham to discredit me!"

Yumiko turned to regard Metis. Her eyes were empty and cold and they pulled Metis into their depths and sent a shiver running up his spine.

"You deny that this man is your son, Councilor?" Yumiko asked.

Selene approached the weeping man and knelt before him, leaning her long scepter against her shoulder. She reached out and gently took Kelso's face between her hands. Kelso slowly stopped weeping as he looked into the deep blue eyes of the Queen.

"Kelso DeShaan," Selene said softly, "perhaps now you understand the consequences of your actions. Being a pirate was not as romantic as you thought, was it?"

Kelso swallowed. "No Majesty, it was not," he whispered. He glanced over at the stone-faced Moon Seneschal. "It was not at all." Fresh tears began to spill from Kelso's eyes as he looked back into the gentle face of the Queen. "I'm so sorry."

Selene nodded, then released Kelso's face. She stood back up with her Moon Scepter and nodded towards the waiting Royal Marines before turning back to face the Council again.

"Kelso DeShaan will be brought before the Lunar Court to answer for his crimes." She pointed towards Metis and Tethys as several more Royal Marines entered the Council rows and approached their seats. "And so will the both of you."

Tethys suddenly lunged forward trying to hop over the rows in an attempt to get at Metis.

"You BASTARD! You told me this would work! That nothing would point to us!!" Tethys seethed as several Marines held him tightly.

Metis merely looked pale and sick in response.

The Great Council Chamber was silent after the two councilmen and one former pirate were led away.

"Councilors," Selene said, holding up another crystal data wafer, "Since the day I took the Crystal Throne members of this Council have repeatedly broken its own laws and committed crimes against the kingdom. I hold here enough evidence to implicate nearly one third of you in various crimes. Tethys and Metis were just the tip of the iceberg. I even have evidence that implicates even more of you in the attempted Mars Coup. Apparently not everyone was caught."

The crystal wafer suddenly burst into a blinding white light in the palm of Selene's hand. Within an instant, it had completely disappeared.  
The members of the Great Council stared down at the young Queen in shock.

"Rather than arrest and prosecute those guilty parties," Selene continued calmly, "I've come up with a much better idea."

Selene gazed around the chamber at the many anxious faces. In the back, she could see old Councilor Nix looking amused and smiling.

"I hearby enact Executive Order Twenty-Eight!"

A crystal gavel slipped from nerveless fingers to hit the polished floor with an almost musical bang.

"Dissolution of this Council??" The Council Steward exclaimed in shock.

"No," Selene said, "Re-structuring. This council has become bloated and corrupt. So I am mandating immediate retirement for all council members and ordering a new election for all member seats. Oh, and I'm reducing the member count to nine only, including Earth of course. Going forward, each member world will be restricted to ONE council member."

Selene could barely suppress the grin that threated to bloom across her face as she gazed out at all the stunned old men.

"In other words, gentlemen. You are all officially FIRED."

It was good to be the Queen.

* * *

Selene waited until she got to her private chambers before spinning her Royal Scepter in her hands and doing a little victory dance.

"Selene," a soft contralto sounded from the door.

Selene stopped her dance in mid whirl to grin crazily at the Moon Seneschal.

"Did you see what I did, Yumi??" Selene exclaimed, "Did you?"

"What was this 'other evidence' that you had against the rest of the Council?" Yumiko asked, "If you had found something more, you should have given it to me so I could've acted upon it."

Selene waved her hand with a chuckle before sending the Silver Crystal floating from the top of her scepter to its stone pedestal.

"There was no other evidence," Selene replied, stepping into her massive closet to change her clothes.

Yumiko's eyebrows shot up in minor shock. "So you lied?"

Selene came out in fresh robes, untying her hair buns to let her silvery hair cascade down her back.

"I could feel guilt coming off every single one of them," she said, "like black waves. Even the Steward was feeling guilty! It made it easier to push for what I wanted."

Selene glanced back at the quiet Moon Seneschal for a moment.

"By the way, what did you do to DeShaan's son? He was completely terrified of you!"

Yumiko merely arched her eyebrow. "I simply explained to him that with privilege comes responsibility."

Selene watched the other woman for a moment, then turned away with a shrug and fluffed out her hair.

"At any rate, the first order of business, after prosecuting Metis and Tethys, and trying your poor pirate for the deaths he caused, is to formerly dissolve the EGF and return full control of all Earth farmland to the Elysion Ministry of Agriculture. By the time all nine planets get their new Councilors chosen, I'll have made the changes I wanted to make."

Selene crossed her arms and grinned evilly at herself in her carved crystal wall mirror.

"It will be interesting to see how each world choses a Councilor," she remarked, "I know King Terras in Elysion will be most excited to finally send an Earth representative."

"Selene," the Moon Seneschal's voice suddenly came from right next to Selene and she suddenly found herself wrapped in a warm hug.

"I'm proud of you, my Queen," Yumiko whispered into Selene's ear. She pushed herself back to gaze into Selene's sapphire orbs with a small smile. "Your mother would be proud of you too. You did well."

Selene took Yumiko's hand in her own and pressed it to her face. "It's going to get worse before it gets better. I'm sorry for being such a fool before. Do you promise to stay by my side Yumi?"

"Always and forever, sister."

A few minutes after Yumiko left, Selene sat staring at her reflection in the mirror. It wasn't the youthful timid face that she was accustomed to. Instead she could see her mother staring back at her. Strong and proud.

_I did it, Mother._

_Today, I have finally become worthy of the title of Queen Serenity._


End file.
